<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>In a message dated 4/6/01 7:10:01 PM Central Daylight Time, JIMRPT@AOL.COM
<BR>writes:
<BR>
<BR>
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Wim;
<BR>If you will recall two years ago (?) I reported on a Chickering rebuild
<BR>with
<BR>a set of these thingees. There were numerous cracked hammer flanges and
<BR>all
<BR>of the rest were very brittle. I annealed the ones without cracks and
<BR>verrrrry carefully annealed and silver soldered the ones with cracks.
<BR>Results so far on the work is that this piano is used by three youngsters
<BR>taking music lessons and so far is standing up very well...i.e. no cracked
<BR>flanges. :-)
<BR>Jim Bryant (FL)
<BR>Note: This work was a "restoration" vs a 'rebuild' and that is what lead to
<BR>the effort to save the flanges.
<BR>
<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR>
<BR>Jim
<BR>
<BR>Are you willing to take on another one of these jobs. As far as I can tell,
<BR>none of the flanges are broken. When finished, the piano will be used in a
<BR>recording studio. Although it will not be used all the time, it will get
<BR>heavy use. Do you think the annealation will stand up to this kind of
<BR>playing, over a long period of time. The recording studio is owned by two
<BR>young guys, with great expectations. The piano belongs to one guy's mother,
<BR>who is willing to give them the piano if they pay for the restoration. I want
<BR>to replace the shanks and hammers, and restore the wippens. This piano will
<BR>also get a new pin block and strings and a new finish. From what I can tell,
<BR>it will be hell of sounding piano. I just don't want to have them spend
<BR>$12000 only to have the hammer flanges crap out on them in a couple of years.
<BR>Therefore, I wonder if this treatment is long lasting, or as Paul said,
<BR>doesn't really have any effect at all.
<BR>
<BR>Wim</FONT></HTML>