[CAUT] Tuning Pin Questions

[Kendall Ross Bean]

Hi, I haven't posted to this listserve before so let's see if this works.
 
I have some questions about tuning pins that have been baffling me for quite
awhile, and I wanted to see if anyone else here has been as baffled by any
or all of these same questions, or has an answer. Please feel free to
address just one, or any of these questions.
 
I would love to see a discussion by parties hopefully much more
knowledgeable than myself, about why these silly pins are the way they are
today.
 
(This may have been covered before somewhere in the Archives, but if it was,
I couldn't find it. So if it's there, I apologize in advance; could someone
just point me to where it is? Thanks.)
 
I've attached a photo for reference.  (See attached). 
 
The photo shows the three basic types of tuning pins we routinely see.  This
is pretty much what the pins look like, I think you will agree. 
 
On the far left is a blued steel pin, in the middle a nickel plated pin, and
on the far right a nickel plated/blued thread pin. (The end pins are Nippon
Denro, the middle pin I think from an Asian piano, maybe Kawai, as it seems
to be metric.)
 
The pin in the middle with the nickel plated threads, - we all know what's
wrong with it, right? And hardly anyone uses this type of pin anymore,
apparently. (Although we often see it when restringing older Kawais and
other Asian Pianos.)
 
So the following questions pertain mainly to the "blued" vs "nickel-blued
pins".
 
The questions I have are:
 
1)  If they both have blued threads,  why are the threads on the "blued
steel" pin such a different color than on the "nickel-blued" pin? (Aren't we
looking at blued steel threads on both? Or does the nickel-blued pin still
have nickel in the threads? Or have they added some type of color to make it
bright blue?)
 
1a) Why aren't the the threads on the "blued" pin the same color as the
unthreaded portion of the pin?  (The threads look almost silver, whereas the
rest of the pin is sort of midnight blue, almost black. )
 
2) If the threads on the "nickel-blued" pin are cut after nickel plating,
(which should remove the plating on the threads right?) and then are heated
in the bluing oven, why aren't they the same color as the unthreaded part of
the "blued" pin? What's really going on here? ) 
 
3) Is it possible that perhaps the threads on the blued pin are cut after
bluing (which removes the bluing, to a certain extent, just like it removes
the layer of nickel plating on the nickel blued pin) while the threads on
the nickel blued pin are blued after cutting ?  Does the order in which the
operations are done affect the quality of the thread? Does having to cut
through nickel plating produce an inferior thread?  Maybe dulls the thread
cutting tools, since nickel is so hard? 
 
4)   Why is it, really, the blued pins are preferred over the nickel-blued
by many piano technicians?
 
5) What is the real purpose /function  of the threads on the tuning pin,
(besides helping back out the pin in restringing ) . One source I've  read
says the threads make it easier to turn the pin in the pinblock (as opposed
to an unthreaded pin). Any thoughts on this?
 
6) Today apparently all tuning pins have "cut" threads, as opposed to
"rolled" threads. Why is this? What does "rolled" threads mean? Why would
they be inferior to cut threads?"
 
7) Catherine Beilefeldt, in her book "The Wonders of the Piano", in
describing the process at AMSCO (when it was still around), says that,
there, both the nickel-blued and blued pins were blued after threading. Does
anyone know if Nippon Denro does it differently? How about Fly Brand?
Diamond?
 
8) What, exactly, are the infamous "reverse cut" threads that were touted so
highly by certain sales reps and dealers of Japanese pianos?
 
9) What about Larry Fine's and Art Reblitz's contention that if this were
really the case (if the "reverse cut" or "reverse thread" pin turned more
easily in one direction than the other) it would wear the pin block out
faster?
 
10) Why, really, did manufacturers (except Bosendorfer) stop using tapered
pins? 
 
I have a number of books that touch on the manufacture of piano tuning pins,
but none that really seems to have more than a superficial understanding of
why tuning pins are made the way they are today. 
 
If anyone knows of a reference work or resource that would have the history
of the development of tuning pins, or an article in the PTJ (or even a
thread in the CAUT or Pianotech archives) that addresses these issues, I
would be very grateful if they would let me know where I can find it. You
can either post your answers on the listserve, ideally, where all could
benefit, or e-mail me personally at address below, if you prefer.
 
Sincerely,
 
Kendall Ross Bean
PianoFinders 
 
(e-mail:  <mailto:kenbean at pianofinders.com> kenbean at pianofinders.com)
 
 
 
 
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