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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi list,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I recently decided to some experimentation with =
an old
upright I have.<BR>It is a Victor-Paling circa 1920s?? no
numbers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>assembled here in Aus (I think) but made in =
the<BR>USA. I
wanted to see what would happen if the frame strut in the<BR>upper =
treble
area between notes 66 and 67 was missing.It is a normal<BR>overstrung =
upright
frame with the one break in the treble between 66<BR>and 67.<BR>I let =
down all
the tension then proceeded to cut through the strut<BR>with my trusty =
angle
grinder.Interestingly when there was only 10mm of<BR>the cut to go the =
frame
made a small bang and cracked through the last<BR>section of the cut. So =
the
frame either wasn't fitted properly and was<BR>under some tension or =
there was
some internal tension from the casting<BR>process . After I had finished =
and got
my hearing back again!,I<BR>measured the cut which was 4mm, the pinblock =
is
coming away from the<BR>back of the piano slightly by about 2mm in the =
middle
tapering off to nothing at<BR>the ends, it was like this from the before =
I
started.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I then chipped it back up to tension a couple of =
times
while holding<BR>my breath and closing my eyes waiting for a piece of =
cast iron
to come<BR>flying out. The action is totally stuffed at this stage so I
can't<BR>tune it but I think 95% of the tension is back on the =
piano.<BR>As I
was increasing the tension I noticed the gap of the cut was<BR>getting =
smaller,
by the time I had finished , the gap had decreased to<BR>1.5mm. I =
measured the
pinblock again the gap was still the same.I<BR>checked the rest of the =
frame
there seems to be no signs of fatigue,<BR>the strut that I cut has moved =
slightly towards the bass but only by<BR>about .5mm not much at
all.<BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>My questions to the list </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Is how did the gap close up ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial> where is the frame moving?<BR>the bottom =
half or the
top half.......<BR>Will tuning stability and tone be
affected?Dramatically</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thanks ,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Stuart Balsillie<BR>Piano Technician<BR>Woodend, =
Victoria<BR>AUSTRALIA<BR><A
href="mailto:piano@iaa.com.au">piano@iaa.com.au</A><BR><BR></DIV></FONT=
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