<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Elian,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It might be more costly to repair the = keys than to just replace them.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Goss</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:degen@telcel.net.ve" = title=degen@telcel.net.ve>Elian Degen J.</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title=pianotech@ptg.org>pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, February 18, 2000 = 7:56 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Fw: An encounter with = French Pianos</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear List</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Take a look at the picture and tell = me what you see ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>No it is not a joke, it is pure = reality, if anybody can explain why ? I have no idea.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Piano ? it is a = beautiful Pleyel Grand. Age 12 Years Piano made by Pleyel, Renner Action, Keyframe and keys = made by Hermann Kluge... !!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yes, what you see in the picture is = exactly what looks like. Lead weights in the front of the keys... first time I see = such thing. It also has lead wights all through the rest of the key, up to = five in the bass.. All round leads are in perfect condition, all front key = leads have swollen to the point of fracturing the wood. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First Problem</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Key tops are so well glued on that = they break when trying to take out. They are plastic, I tried vapour, direct = heat, and they still break, solution, also change key tops. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Second problem.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Very difficult to get old swollen = leads out without destroying the wood, very little place left to between leads = and where front pin goes. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Third Problem </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Where to find these leads ? Not very = common at all</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Any of you have ever dealt with a = similar situation ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Should I just repair the wood, = replace keytops and balance with round normal lead wights placed somwhere else in the = key body. ( lots of work involved also)</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Elian Degen</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>