<!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 5.50.4522.1800" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <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 type="cite" 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></BODY></HT= ML>