<!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 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000>Good point John. Here in the = Sunshine State I have seen quite a few termite-infested piano in my few short years in = this business. I have also ripped apart a couple of them. It seems to be much = like rotten wood on a boat - if you see a very little evidence of the = affliction, safe to assume there is about 100 times more damage that you can't see.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800000>Terry Farrell</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=jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca = href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">John Ross</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> Tuesday, September 30, = 2003 3:58 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Pinblock = Separation Repair & Pitch Change</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Hi Richard,</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>At 200 cents flat, I don't drop the pitch.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>I used to use 1/2" carriage bolts, but = in a discussion on the list, that was considered overkill. So 3/8" will be = good enough.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>We don't have a termite problem up = here (Canada), but I think I would check out the piano further, for a = termite problem.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Someone had brought a piano up from = the US, with a termite problem in the keys. They appeared to have just a little = hole, but in fact had been hollowed out in places. Much more damage than indicated.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Regards,</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A = href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></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=rstrang@pa.inter.net = href="mailto:rstrang@pa.inter.net">Richard Strang</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, October 30, = 2003 5:50 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Pinblock = Separation Repair & Pitch Change</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=890354520-30102003>Thanks for the info, Terry. I have to go = make that very repair to a piano shortly and was contemplating whether or not = to lower the pitch first. It this case, the separation is about = 1/2"  in the bass and about 1/4" in the treble. Those pesky little termites = are in there, too. I think they are causing the problem. They are not in = the pinblock, though, so the piano is in tune, though 200 cents flat.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=890354520-30102003>   I was also wondering what = size bolts to use, 1/4", 3/8"? What do you recommend?</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=890354520-30102003>Thanks.</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=890354520-30102003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Courier New" color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=890354520-30102003>Richard</SPAN></FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT = face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On = Behalf Of </B>Farrell<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 30, 2003 8:09 AM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Pinblock = Separation Repair & Pitch Change<BR><BR></DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Differing opinions regarding the benefit = of lowering pitch prior to drawing a pinblock/backpost separation back = together have been expressed on this list. I am one that generally feels = more comfortable lowering pitch. I thought it might be of benefit to = put some numbers on potential pitch changes. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Yesterday I did one of these repairs on a = late model (1980s) Baldwin Acrosonic console. It had an approximate 1/4-inch separation between the pinblock and the backposts and = deadwood back assembly. The separation had been "repaired" in the past with = something that appeared to be silicone bathtub adhesive - surprisingly (?) = the separation appeared to have widened since the application of = the silicone. The piano was tuned at that time (and presumably tuned = at standard pitch). </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Prior to my repair the piano was fairly = uniformly 75 cents flat. I dropped the pitch to between 200 and 250 cents flat = prior to any clamping. I yucked in West System epoxy thickened with = #403 Microfibers. (A fine fiber blend, is used as a thickening = additive with resin/hardener to create a multi-purpose adhesive, especially = for bonding wood. Epoxy thickened with microfibers has good = gap-filling qualities while retaining excellent wetting/penetrating = capability.)  I drew the gap closed slowly going back and forth among the six = 3/4" pipe clamps (of which two got bent pretty good!). The separation = appeared to close very close to 100%.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I then checked pitch again. Piano was = fairly uniformly about 75 cents flat. Therefore, it appears that closing = the 1/4-inch gap resulted in a pitch increase of approximately 150 cents.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>I will be going back to the job on Friday = morning to install a few through bolts, remove clamps, pitch raise and tune. = If there is anyone out there that perhaps has not seen this repair done (or = whoever for whatever reason) wants to see a few photos, I will take them = Friday morning. Let me know.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>=