:o KEN ZAHRINGER FOR PREZ! (Waitaminnit..) :) THanx for the long, informative, excellent post. Thank you EVERYONE. !!!!!!!!! Well- I have just phoned the Kawai dealer and he is going to inquire about whether or not this is covered under the 10 year warrantee Kawai has. Nontheless- these posts are exacty what I needed and hopefully it'll help everyone involved get this done, get this done quickly and get it done quickly and correctly. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :) Michelle (ps- I have a sneaky feeling this all may end up in the Journal.. IT'S THAT GOOD.) --On Thursday, April 28, 2005 1:49 PM -0500 Ken Zahringer <ZahringerK@missouri.edu> wrote: > Hey, Michelle, > > I've done this a few times (midwestern winters and their discontents, you > know) and there are two basic procedures I have used. > > My preferred repair is to take the tension off the bass strings, remove > the screw holding the apron to the soundboard, tip the piano on its back, > take the bass strings off the hitch pins, and remove the entire > bridge/apron assembly. Then drill pilot holes through the apron into the > bridge and glue & screw the two together, screws going through the apron > and into the bridge. Then glue & screw the apron back onto the > soundboard, usually using longer screws than original so they actually > penetrate the apron. Sometimes you have to drill an access hole through > a back post to get at a screw. That's always fun. :-) I can usually get > this done in a couple of hours, then pull the bass strings back up to > pitch and tune. BTW, I also remove the bottom board and pedal stretcher. > This gives much better access and makes the job go much quicker. > > If the apron is still securely attached to the soundboard, then you can > just glue the bridge back onto the apron. If there is good downbearing, > I have had success using the strings as the clamp. Take the strings off > the hitch pins, scrape the old glue off, and put the bridge back in place > (with glue). When you put the strings back on work from both sides to the > middle. This minimizes the tendency for the bridge to move around while > you're getting the strings back on. Pull them up close to full tension > as you go, for better clamping. Work fast. You can tune right away. > > If there isn't good, or any, downbearing, you have to clamp. The only > thing I have found that works is screws. If the bridge is wide enough, > you can drill and countersink a hole through the bridge, and screw the > bridge to the apron. Make sure you countersink deep enough to get the > screw head out of the way. Otherwise use even longer, roundhead screws > and "sandwich" the bridge between a piece of 3/4" plywood and the apron. > Screw run through the plywood, through the bridge, and into the apron. > Leave it clamped for an hour or so at least, overnight is better, then > replace the strings and tune. > > BTW, depending on how the particular piano is put together, I still > sometimes find it quicker and easier to tip it and remove the bottom board > and pedal stretcher even when using option #2. It just depends on what > you can get to easily. > > Hope this helps. I'm moving kind of fast today, so if anything doesn't > make sense, holler and I'll try again. > > Ken Z. > > On 4/28/05 12:46 PM, "michelle stranges" <stranges@Oswego.EDU> wrote: > >> >> Hello folks.. >> >> Quick question here.. >> >> Last night I went to the local high school I take care of, and my Kawai >> UST-8's (which NEVER STAY IN TUNE) have personal problems like crazy. (I >> cannot stand these pianos- sorry Don Mannino!!) :( >> > > -- > Ken Zahringer, RPT > Piano Technician > MU School of Music > 297 Fine Arts > 882-1202 > cell 489-7529 > > _______________________________________________ > caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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