Changing the subject if I may, André Bolduc introduced a hybrid pinblock last year. "This NEW and more affordable Hybrid pinblock is also a five-ply block with center and top layers made with a 5-ply maple veneer and the 2 inner layers are solid quarter-sawn rock maple" Although it doesn't seem to have the characteristics that Ron N. has recommended (the thinner dense layers of Delignit) for a top cap, it seems to show the ability/willingness of a manufacturer to create something a little different, and put it out there for our scrutiny. Now I know each and every one of us has at one time or another approached a manufacturer/distributor and asked "why don't you make this, or offer that," and summarily received a polite (yawn) explanation as to "why it can't be done." (I'm still waiting for Pianotek to add a guide-rail sizing broach to their inventory of things you can stick in the end of a hot soldering iron... and why not? These are some of the good guys!) So, what if: 1.) We collectively asked André for a pinblock that would offer exceptional surface support the pin... what he would need from us to make this happen, and what it would cost? 2.) If he would consider radiusing the ribs for his pre-crowned soundboards? May I go on? Not that many years ago I prided myself in how many actions we turned around in a year, and that every set of hammers were custom bored, trimmed, weighed, pre-needled and right shaped here in the shop. Nowadays, more than half of our hammer sets are ordered pre-hung, and of the three suppliers we deal with, two offer fairly good work, which is easily brought up to standard, and the other's work is excellent right out of the box. The bottom line for many of us is that we simply have more work than we have time. That doesn't mean we want to diminish our standards, or quit exploring (we just did another in-shop capo hardening last week), we just simply don't have time to rib-out our own panels, lay-up pinblock blanks... or more recently, even hang our own hammers. But we need this stuff! So, does this initiative have little more hope than a successful boycott of Florida during spring break... or is it possible there are enough of us out there that consume these products (pinblocks & pre-crowned soundboards) that a manufacturer would find it worthwhile to offer custom alternatives and current technology? BTW, it's barely been a decade since a little chat in the lobby at convention led to André offering his soundboards pre-crowned, to allow the everyday technician an opportunity to broaden their experience. It's time for a new challenge! Mark Cramer, RPT Brandon University -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ron Nossaman Sent: May 5, 2009 6:38 PM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] pin-block plugging? Dan Reed wrote: > I use CA maybe 5 times @ year...been doing this for 15 years... > > What helps tremendously, if the CA doesn't do the trick, is to tap in > the pins._..just a little bit_...a small amount of depth increase does a > disproportionally amount of good... > > Really...try it....knocking them down to the plate is not necessary to > increase the tightness...Ron will probably tell us why.... Certainly! It's because tapping them down only very slightly makes them so disproportionately tighter. If it doesn't, then driving them down on the plate won't either. QED. As to why driving a pin such a small amount (in a viable block) makes them so much tighter, I haven't a clue. But I don't think those coils got on the plate all at once. I suspect it's a continual tapping with each tuning over time, like the relentless bridge top string seaters, that, in spite of the fact that it continues not to work longer then the tuning takes (time after time after time) through the years, continue to apply the only remediation they believe they believe. You know. If you keep pushing the button every couple of seconds, the elevator will eventually come, and might even hurry. > Save your breathing apparatus for more important things, like getting > oxygen into the blood.... And yelling at the computer... You do, don't you? <G> Ron N
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