<HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV align=left>Well, I remember WW2 but I was pretty= young!  Cast iron was in short supply because of the war= effort and not many pianos were even made during that time= period.  However, some were made and cast aluminum was used= in a few.  As far as I know they were successful, but= aluminum is more expensive than cast iron so when it became= available production went back to iron.</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left>At least that's what I've been told by guys old= enough to remember it!</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left>dave</DIV> <DIV= align=left><BR>__________________________________________</DIV> <DIV align=left>David M. Porritt, RPT</DIV> <DIV align=left>Meadows School of the Arts</DIV> <DIV align=left>Southern Methodist University</DIV> <DIV align=left>Dallas, TX 75275</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left><BR>----- Original message= ----------------------------------------><BR>From: Wally= Scherer <<A= href="mailto:afinetune@yahoo.com">afinetune@yahoo.com</A>><BR= >To: pt <<A= href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR>Rec= eived: Fri, 28 May 2004 13:15:36 -0700 (PDT)<BR>Subject: aluminum= plate</DIV> <DIV align=left><BR>Yesterday I tuned a Mehlin & Sons spinet.= I was fascinated by the shiny aluminum looking plate, thinking= it was just painted that way. Then I noticed the name Alcoa cast= into the metal and knew that it was really aluminum. I asked the= owner if it was lighter than other pianos and she said the= movers had commented that it was very light weight.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I didn't notice any particular problems as a result of this= being an aluminum plate, so wondered why the practice didn't= continue. Anyone informed as to the history of the aluminum= piano plate?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV><BR><BR>Wallace T. Scherer, Piano Technician,= Music Educator<BR>Piano Tuning & Repairs, Piano Lessons,= Edwards String Covers<BR>P.O. Box 4121, Lantana, Florida,= 33465<BR>Phone: 561-432-4121<BR>Web page:= http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/afinetune <P> <HR SIZE=1> <FONT face=arial size=-1>Do you Yahoo!?<BR>Friends. Fun. <A= href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/">Try the all-new Yahoo!= Messenger</A> </FONT></BODY></HTML>