[CAUT] FW: Re: crack

Jeff Stickney stickneyjp at gmail.com
Wed Jun 24 08:40:20 MDT 2009


I'm not sure if the heat is absorbed through heat traveling through the 
air, or if the heat radiates and is absorbed through the legs - i.e. 
structure of the piano.  If the former, the blanket would help.  If the 
latter, then it might aid some, but the piano would still "bake" through 
absorption.  The platform mentioned below might help in either case - 
the more venting the better?

Jeff S.

Ed Sutton wrote:
> I have wondered if a space blanket, shiny side out, on the bottom of 
> the piano, would help.
> As I recall a black surface absorbs about 6 times as much radiant heat 
> as an equivalent reflective surface.
> Ed S.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don" <pianotuna at accesscomm.ca>
> To: <caut at ptg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 7:14 AM
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] FW: Re: crack
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've had two clients with radiant floor heating and grand pianos. 
>> Both have
>> built small platforms with vents in the sides which their pianos live 
>> on.
>> The platform stops the radiant heat from striking the piano--though 
>> there
>> is some secondary re radiation from the platform itself. The bottom 
>> surface
>> of the platform was covered in aluminum foil.
>>
>> The end result was much better tuning stability.
>>
>> I have a third client with a 7'8" piano who has a full DC system with
>> bottom cover. This does not give the type of stability I desire for my
>> clients--but it does help. The bottom cover made a large difference.
>>
>> At 06:20 PM 6/23/2009 -0700, you wrote:
>>> Hi Jeff,
>>> In my experience, it is very difficult to keep a piano in tune with 
>>> such a
>>> heating system. It is as if you placed the piano directly over the heat
>>> source.  We would normally advise clients not to place the piano 
>>> directly
>>> over a forced air heat duct or in its path and yet with radiant 
>>> floor heat
>>> one has no choice.  Putting a thick carpet (with pad) under a grand 
>>> piano
>>> may disperse the heat a little bit, but it doesn't solve the problem
>>> completely.  I used to have radiant floor heat in my previous home.  
>>> It was
>>> nice for people (and pets) because your feet are always warm, but 
>>> furniture
>>> squeaked and groaned from loosening joints.  It seemed drier than other
>>> types of heat.
>>>
>>> Depending on how it is installed, it may not be as bad for an 
>>> upright that
>>> is against the wall.  Sometimes the coils are not extended all the 
>>> way to
>>> the walls and an upright just misses sitting directly over them.
>>>
>>> Jeannie Grassi, RPT
>>> Bainbridge Island, WA
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf 
>>> Of Jeff
>>> Stickney
>>> Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:17 AM
>>> To: caut at ptg.org
>>> Subject: Re: [CAUT] FW: Re: crack
>>>
>>> If this is a gray market Yamaha, I have a customer who purchased one 
>>> and
>>> had it shipped to dry Montana.  The cracks didn't appear instantly, but
>>> they are definitely there now.  He also has radiant floor heat.  Anyone
>>> have any idea if that heat source has a drying/heating effect on pianos
>>> - more than forced air or steam sources?  I know it warms cabinets,
>>> furniture, etc. noticeably.
>>>
>>> Jeff Stickney
>>>
>>> Mark Schecter wrote:
>>>> Hi, Dave.
>>>>
>>>> I looked at the photos, and on a whim, ran the serial
>>>> (http://tinyurl.com/mwmmox). The piano, made in 1977, is not a US
>>>> Yamaha. So, especially if it lived its early life in humid Japan, it
>>>> may have been a less than ideal candidate to survive South Texas. 
>>>> Clue?
>>>>
>>>> I agree, I doubt the crack resulted from moving the piano. It might
>>>> not have been noticed before, but it probably didn't just suddenly
>>>> open. In any event, I doubt Yamaha would be very sympathetic - they
>>>> have tried to caveat the emptor.
>>>>
>>>> -Mark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> David Ilvedson wrote:
>>>>> List,
>>>>>
>>>>> A furniture repair fellow I do work for, emailed me some photos for a
>>>>> moving claim.   From the info given, I thought it wasn't moving
>>>>> damage.   What do you guys think?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi David,
>>>>>
>>>>> Here are the photos.  The customer says he heard it crack as the
>>>>> movers were taking it out of the room.  Origin address was in South
>>>>>  Texas, very hot and dry.   Is this even repairable?<
>>>>
>>>
>>> No virus found in this incoming message.
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>>> Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.89/2197 - Release Date: 
>>> 06/23/09
>> 05:54:00
>>>
>> Regards,
>> Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
>> Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat
>>
>> mailto:pianotuna at yahoo.com http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/
>>
>> 3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7
>> 306-539-0716 
>
>


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