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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>List and friends</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I sent this email privately to Less =
about how I do
when restringing a piano, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>suggested me to put it in the list, =
actually they
were two mails and I made a single one which comprises the whole
Idea.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have been carrying this procedure in =
all pianos I
restrung since I started working pianos. Originally I would hammer the =
new
tuning pins as they came. Some years ago on a similar discussion someone =
suggested using a little varnish on the tip of the tuning pin. I have to =
thank
the list for this Idea, it really worked and improved the job. I can =
feel the
difference tuning. When you hammer the pin in the wood also produces =
high heat,
I assume that varnish lubricates the pin and you can feel as it goes in =
easier,
and afterwards you also notice the difference when tuning. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Les.<BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a technique that worked very =
well for
me.<BR><BR>When restringing a piano, first I reduce the humidity level =
as much
as I can<BR>If wood gets overdried it will crack. So what I do is
place three 15W Dampp Chaser style tubes distributed
evenly<BR> in a Grand Piano below the pinblock or inside an =
upright.
I keep them five<BR>days before starting the job and until I took all =
strings
off. and I do it<BR>again before inserting the new pins. (Every =
time I
remove strings and pins I<BR>spend several days in before restringing =
checking,
cleaning and refinishing<BR>if needed, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I found out that when I do that, =
and the wood
dries, the hole opens up and the pins get very easy to<BR>extract. To =
take them
out I use a " T" shaped tuning lever </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>After observing wood behavior, =
once wood
is dry enough I extract tuning pins turning<BR>them out very =
slowly
as to not overheat the holes, and with the T shaped<BR>lever you have =
enough
control not to flagpole.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> It is very important to check the =
pinblock
thoroughly, look with<BR>a light inside each hole, check for cracks in =
the
walls, if a grand you can<BR>check it from below , also here in =
Venezuela
we have to ship the old bass<BR>strings and wait for the new ones which
sometimes takes a couple of month. meanwhile I<BR>switch off the tubes =
and five
days before restringing I switch them on<BR>again. I do introduce the =
new pins
hammering and I do use a tiny drop of lacquer on the<BR>tip of the pin, =
that
also keeps the pin slightly lubricated when hammered in,<BR>You will =
find out
that when the wood reaches back its normal humidity level,<BR>they will =
stay
tight.<BR><BR>I already have the feel of it, but there is a better way =
and
safer. If you<BR>have a closed room, and one of those dehumidifiers =
which
extract the water<BR>from the air (They look like a small refrigerator =
and water
drops in a<BR>container. You can use it in the room and measure humidity =
with
a<BR>hygrometer, I take it down up to 35% relative humidity keep it =
several
days<BR>in order to be sure the wood got to that point.<BR><BR>Note: I =
use the
42% percent standard rel. humidity because there is no place<BR>in =
Venezuela
below that. and if it is too humid I recommend them to use a<BR>Dampp =
Chaser
Climate Control System. but you should always take in account<BR>the =
lowest
relative humidity in your area. If you restring a piano on =
rainy<BR>season (it
happened to me in the beginning) without drying the wood and lets<BR>say =
you
have a rel. humidity of 65% when doing it, in summer when it =
goes<BR>down to 45
or 48% you will have a warranty call. If you take all<BR>precautions, =
still be
sure to find out if your client has central heating<BR>for winter or =
anything
that will lower humidity in a given season below 42%<BR>and in that case =
warn
him about it and take the appropriate measures, i.e. a =
Climate<BR>Control
System. there are many factors that can ruin the job once the =
piano<BR>is at the
customer house, and you have to make sure it will not turn =
against<BR>you. I
always issue the customer with a list asking him about the =
conditions<BR>at the
place where the piano is going to stay, I also inspect the place =
and<BR>warn him
about the best place to keep it and the best conditions. I check<BR>for =
air
drafts, Air Conditioning, windows where the sun might hit =
the<BR>instrument not
only in that moment but try to figure out any time of the<BR>year and =
upon
delivery I give him a printed form which I titled "How to take<BR>care =
of your
piano" were I consider all these points. Big Jobs translate in<BR>big
responsibilities and many customers tend to<BR>make the piano technician =
responsible if he forgets to instruct them against<BR>some =
conditions.<BR><BR>I
followed the list and the idea of using an electric drill also is good
as<BR>long as the drill turns at a very low speed, low enough not to =
heat the
wood<BR>by friction, also the best is one of those drills on a stand so =
you
can<BR>place it in a way not to press to any side. Personally I prefer =
the T
shaped<BR>lever I can turn it real slow.<BR><BR>I did this job in many =
pianos,
with no need to ream the hole, and it worked<BR>fine. Normally I check =
the piano
first, if pins are loose but they are all<BR>even, and I take them out
carefully, I look in the holes if they are not<BR>scorched, dirty =
(from
oxidation). or "glazed" Most commonly you will find<BR>the<BR>wood looks =
glazed,
even if you were careful enough to take the pins slowly<BR>check holes, =
the
glazing indicates high temperature and can produce jumpy<BR>pins, =
Glazing can
also be due to replacement of broken strings where the<BR>tuner who =
performed
the job unscrewed too fast.<BR><BR>I do not know the piano, but if the =
piano you
are going to restring has<BR>oxidation and it shows into the tuning =
pins, do not
bother taking too many<BR>precautions extracting, in that case you will =
need to
ream anyway<BR><BR>If the piano is all uneven, wood is scorched or =
dirty, or
flagpoled, then<BR>cleaning or reaming is a must<BR><BR>Those are my =
2cts
worth<BR><BR>Take =
care<BR><BR>Elian<BR><BR><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>