Baldwin floating plate

[Richard Moody]

If plates come from the foundry with a 10% shrinkage from original
design, some of that might also be laterally.  ie the plates might
vary in flatness.  Depending on how much of a hurry the assembly line
is in, sometimes it would not be unimaginable that a plate say 3 mm
off flat could be screwed down rather that cutting down 12 other 
seating dowels. To a plate-bolter-downer, what difference does it
make? Besides who would ever know? Execpt the re-stringer.  If he is
careful to note after the plate is un-screwed it does or does not sit
on all seating dowels. Of course wooden rims could warp a couple of
mms also. Probably because the plate was forced screwed down. Talk
about a circular argument.   I would bet Baldwin's floating plate is
a way to seat varying plates with nose bolts rather than the double
dowels or what ever the correct term is. 
	Hats off to Baldwin.  IMHO the Acu-just hitch pin is the best idea
since the capo d'astro bar.  Who could ever inagine such an
arrangement would hold a tuning? And please no comments from the
peanut gallery such as "shine them cheeks, boy" unless you want
credit for your bon mot, execpt to say I first heard it as a "lar
mot" but we won't larrup that one. : ) 
	Speaking of hurry, how many rebuilders let the piano stand with
tension off for thirty days or longer before going further?  If we
knew the craft of wood curing as practiced at the turn of the
century, it might should be six months or longer. But who can divine
the nature of wood? 

Richard de Vine
			...isn't it good Norwegian wood?"   Beatles	
	

----------
> From: Rob Kiddell <atonal@planet.eon.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Baldwin floating plate 
> Date: Wednesday, June 04, 1997 2:38 AM
> 
> Richard Moody wrote:
> 
> >  The "floating plate" by Baldwin has been mentioned, and that
would
> > be interestng to hear more about, but I am wondering with the
> > acu-just hitch pins, why the heck they also need a floating
plate? 
> 
> 	Good question! The theory as explained by Baldwin, (and probably 
> distorted by me in the translation) has to do with the setting of
the 
> strings on the Accu-just pins. 

>   Baldwin says that the strings should be optimally set approx. 1/3

> of the way up the pin from the plate initially in the factory, to 
> allow for re-setting later on in the life of the piano. The
floating 
> plate ... allows initial bearing to be set so that the strings rest
on 
> the Accu-just pins at the optimum spot. Should you need to change 
> bearing later, you have two ways to do it, moving the plate, or 
> re-setting the strings on the hitch pins. 
> 
> Interesting side note: in the April Journal, Charles R. Walter has 
> come out with Accu-Set hitch pins on their grands....
> 
> Regards, 
> 
> Rob Kiddell
> R.P.T., P.T.G.
> C.A.P.T. Student
> Edmonton, Canada
> http://www.planet.eon.net/~atonal/atonal.html