Billbrpt@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 98-02-05 23:33:03 EST, you write: > > << Everything is now dry and in remarkably good shape. >> > I don't have any suggestions about what to look for but I think that if > this piano recovers well it will show where the true stregnth of Kimball > products is. Kimball's laminated wood products are exceptionally strong and > resiliant under this kind of stress. I think Del would agree with me on this. > Take one problem at a time, correct that which is incorrect and you should > end up with a properly functioning instrument again. I've also repaired water > damaged Kimball pianos before and had a relatively easy time with them. Some > other more expensive pianos were more fragile. When there is flood damage and > a lot of pianos in one area, you get to see the effects on the different > makes. > Thanks Tom, for taking this on and not rejecting it out of hand or quoting > a price that is way out of line. > Bill Bremmer RPT > Madison, Wisconsin ----------------------------------------------------- Bill & Tom, Since I always like to know what I am agreeing with, I went back and read Tom's original post. And I do agree, conditionally. I do wish Kimball had not used poplar to make the rims of their pianos with. At least the inner rim should have been something a bit more suitable for piano making. Having said that, in this case, Tom, you probably don't have much to worry about. It is very unlikely that there will be any long term damage to the pinblock that is not apparent now. These things were built using a water proof glue so delamination is not likely. Besides, one of the few useful functions of that plate busing is to swell up in the presence of water and keep the pinblock from getting soaked. You should check the strings around the tuning pins to be sure they haven't rusted next to the pins. You should also check the area of the string immediately adjacent to the crown of the V-bar. Water tends to run down there and sit. It is an area that few piano owners think to dry off when they discover that their piano has taken an inadvertent shower. It's not likely that there is any damage to the soundboard either. They also are pretty well sealed. If it is a laminated board and there are no obvious delaminations along the bellyrail edge, there won't be any problems elsewhere either. Laminated soundboards got a bad reputation because their acoustic designs were fairly pathetic. Not because they were structurally deficient. Good sounding pianos can be built using laminated soundboards. It's just not being done. That's not the fault of the material. If the keybed still looks good, it probably is. Again, there's not much to go wrong. As long as the water has dried out and there is no obvious damage, I'd not worry about it. Check things like the action rails to be sure they aren't warped. (Assuming that they are wood, not aluminum. I'd guess that they were made by Herrburger-Brooks, hence they are going to be made of solid wood, not laminated.) With the action, check the obvious things. Hammers, felt bushings and pads, leathers, etc. Replace the hard, crusty stuff. Treat everything with McLube. Make sure the keys aren't warping. How long was the piano in the shower and how long has it been dry? Most everything will be stabilized within a couple of weeks of being thoroughly dried out. Make sure the keyframe is stable and warp free. You might want to check the keyframe felts and rebed the glides. You might have a few wandering keys to contend with, but probably not. Check the back action, make sure the sostenuto tabs work and have not hardened. The damper levers and flanges should have escaped damage, but check. That's about all I can think of at the moment. But then I've just finished my orange/pepper baked salmon and two glasses of wine. So don't expect too much detail. About hidden structural problems waiting to come out in the middle of the night to haunt you -- don't lose a whole lot of sleep over it. Regards, Del
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