cracking up?

[FirTree@aol.com]

>
>2)  Assess if the crack actually is located someplace that does brace
>against
>tension.  Sometimes one appears in the tuning pin region and has no
>apparent
>effect on stability.
>
>Your crack, however, continues south of the pressure bar and you have
>a pitch
>discontinuity as evidence that it does matter.  Go to (1)!
>
>Audrey Karabinus,   Seattle
>
>
Dittos! If the crack isn't weakening a vital part, it is just ugly, but not
dangerous. If it matters, it matters.

Two horror stories you may feel free to use:

I once was called to appraise an upright piano at the local Salvation
Army thrift store. The pinblock had separated from the back, and the
plate had *folded*. There was a 6 or 7 inch gap. Moral: if it won't hold,
don't tune it.

A resident musical artist at the local college called me to tune his
personal piano. The pinblock had separated, and someone had
replaced the lags with bolts _without_ gluing the block together.
I could put my hand into the gaps between the bolts. The tuning
was unbelievable, as was the artist, when I informed him I could not
and would not tune the piano for fear of my personal safety. Moral:
if you can't fix it right, don't.

These are both about pinblocks and not plates, but my own personal
experience with a broken plate is still to painful to discuss.

Dave Stocker
firtree@aol.com
Tumwater, WA


Q. What is the difference between a trampoline and an accordian?
A. You are supposed to remove your shoes before jumping on the
      trampoline.