<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2>Get two blocks of wood measuring exactly 7" = high.  Place them on the soundboard at opposite edges of whatever part of the piano = you want to measure.  Put a straight edge across the top of the two blocks = and at a point midway between the blocks, measure the distance from the bottom of = the straightedge to the soundboard.  Subtract that number from 7" and = the amount left over is the amount of crown.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>David Love</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=collin.s@skynet.be = href="mailto:collin.s@skynet.be">Stéphane Collin</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> December 18, 2002 4:41 = PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Bridgetop = Extravaganza Revisited</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Stephen</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Am I alowed to ask a kind of stupid = question ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>How do you measure the crown on the = top of the board ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(I am interested)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=sbellieu@mindspring.com href="mailto:sbellieu@mindspring.com">Stephen Bellieu</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, December 19, = 2002 1:00 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Bridgetop = Extravaganza Revisited</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Greg,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>    It's definitely = quartersawn.  I don't think it's a candidate for recapping for two reasons.  = The board is dead flat across the bass bridge and lower tenor bridge (as = measured from the top and confirmed on the bottom).  Also I have learned the = piano was purchased by the client new some 16 yrs ago.  I have no = intention of condemning this piano.  It sounded ok before.  Not = spectacular bass but I have heard much worse.  I'm anticipating tight = new bridge pins are going to contribute to tonal improvement up higher.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>    I'm wondering about the = bearing in the bottom of the piano.  How it was originally set.  Strung it showed a full 1.5 deg across the bass bridge and almost = nothing on the bottom two feet of the tenor bridge.(also no front bearing = in both of these locations)  Is this what flattened out the tail ? =  If I relieve some of the bearing across the bass bridge will = this improve the situation?  I'm used to seeing older pianos with = little bearing on the bass bridge.  Opinions?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>Steve Bellieu</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>P.S.  Thanks for all the welcomes.  I = know some of you and recognize lots of other names from Journal articles and tips.</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- = </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=gnewell@ameritech.net = href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net">Greg Newell</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, December = 18, 2002 12:32 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Bridgetop = Extravaganza Revisited</DIV> = <DIV><BR></DIV>Steve,<BR><X-TAB>      &nbsp= ; </X-TAB>Now that you've decided to pull the plate I would strongly recommend = simply recapping the bridge with quarter sawn material unlike the flat = sawn junk you'll be removing. I' ve never seen quarter sawn material dented = as badly as you describe, even by well meaning newbies with a hammer and screwdriver. A couple runners on the router and skin off the old = cap. Put on a quarter sawn cap of good solid material. Re - drill, notch = and restring. I'll lay odds you'll be greatly pleased with the result!!!<BR><BR>Greg Newell<BR><BR>P.S. Welcome to the list!!!<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>At 05:13 AM 12/18/2002, you = wrote:<BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT size=2>    Hi All,  </FONT><BR><FONT = size=2>Just joined,  first post to this or any other group.  = Serendipitous timing, just read all the recent bridgetop/ bridgepin = posts.  Have a 1985 Stwy D in the shop for action overhaul and = restring.  I thought I was noticeing something funny about the bridges but = was in denial until I started taking all the teardown notes.  The = plain wire strings have been pounded (seated) into the bridge so that = at the edges there is more wire diameter below the bridge top than = above it.  When viewed from the side the wire makes a pronounced = curve up onto the bridge and down again out the rear making accurate = component readings impossible to do from on top of the wire.  It was = showing negative front bearing until I realized what was happening and = started using the actual bridgetop as reference.  Situation is most = severe at capo sections and diminishes down to what looks like normal = grooves to me under the bass strings.  Deflection in strung piano = is .5 deg at bottom of low capo,  1-1.5 deg rest of capo sweeping up = to 2.5 deg at note 88.  There is .250" crown at low capo.  = (measured from top of board)  </FONT><BR><FONT = size=2>    Is it possible this condition is due to the quality of the capping material?   I usually work on much older = instruments.  I have never seen string cuts like this.  Also the various = pressures have caused dead wood to swell up and check here and there = around the terminations.  Again I'm not used to seeing this.  = Inspection of the pins under magnification shows the string resided in two = distinct locations.   My theory:  Pre- and Post = Pounding.  There are also a lot of unexplainable nicks on the side of the pins.  The pins pull out easily.  No cracks to speak = of.  This is an institutional piano which has probably been in = Southern California its whole life.</FONT><BR><FONT = size=2>    What I'm thinking about doing is similar to what Dale Erwin just = posted.  I've never done the epoxy bridge thing but I'm = familiar with the nasty stuff. I'm imagining thickening it enough with = colloidal silica so it won't run down the notches or too much into the = holes and applying it with a small spatula.  I want to fill those = deep grooves (at least on the speaking side) and then sand the top flat.  If I put the stuff on in the morning can I = pare/renotch and redrill at the end of the day before it gets too hard and while = I can still find the original holes? </FONT><BR><FONT size=2>    Looking forward to peoples responses.</FONT><BR> <BR><FONT size=2>    = I want to stop using the misnomer "string seating" in favor of wire = straightening (or something similar)  which is what I do at a low lateral = angle (around the bridges anyway).  I have never been convinced = of the need of downward tapping pressure at the bridges.  For some = reason this is one of the first things new technicians are taught and = the thought of them going around with little hammers and pounding on = pianos scares me.  We straighten wire for control of damper and = hammer contact and for quick stabilization of new strings.  = Perhaps having the wire come straight out of the bridge helps the string to = vibrate in a more perpendicular plane even.  I don't really = know.  After you take a few pianos apart you find that even in a negative = bearing situation the angled pins hold the string tight to the = bridge.  If there is so much negative bearing that they don't then no amount = of pounding will hold them there.  But I guess that is another = thread.   Right now I need help getting out of this mess.  I have finally accepted I have to pull the = plate.  So much for the quick restring of a fairly new instrument.  </FONT><BR> <BR><FONT size=2>Thanks,  Steve Bellieu</FONT><BR><BR>---<BR><BR>Checked by AVG anti-virus = system (<A href="http://www.grisoft.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.grisoft.com</A>).<BR>Version: = 6.0.427 / Virus Database: 240 - Release Date: = 12/6/2002</BLOCKQUOTE><X-SIGSEP> <P></X-SIGSEP>Greg Newell<BR><A = href="mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net" eudora="autourl">mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net</A> <P> <HR> <P></P><BR>---<BR><BR>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).<BR>Version: 6.0.427 / Virus Database: = 240 - Release Date: 12/6/2002<BR> <P> <HR> = <P></P>_______________________________________________<BR>pianotech list = info: = https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOT= E></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>