replacing back reply

[pianoman]

Hi Mike,
Not only would this be a great learning experience for you but it would
make a great Journal article for all of us to share with you.  I encourage
you.
James Grebe
R.P.T. of the P.T.G. from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com
"Success is not a goal, rather it is a way of life".

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> From: Mike Masters <agraffes@worldnet.att.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: replacing back
> Date: Friday, February 06, 1998 8:07 PM
> 
> I have a unique opportunity coming up in the next week. I have a church 
> account that has two fairly new (1993) uprights where the manufacturer 
> is now out of business but is still honoring warranty service. The 
> soundboards in both pianos are in grave condition. splits at many joints 
> all the way through. One of them has a section that is concaved (warped) 
> at the lower section of the treble bridge. Also many rib joints are 
> loose. The maker has the the back assemblies (skeleton, soundboard, 
> plate, pinblock, already strung, waiting for cases to be put on them 
> (they were never completed.) It doesn't sound all that involved. Just 
> cut the old back away from the case on both sides and glue the new back 
> in place. 
> 	I am curious as to what type of saw I am going to need (an industrial 
> powered sabre saw with a 6" blade sounds logical to me) and what type of 
> glue should be used for gluing the new back to the existing case sides.
> 	The new backs will be shipped as soon as the manufacturer locates them. 
> I'm guessing within the next week or so.
> 	I was able to tour the Charles Walter factory last November with the 
> Cleveland PTG Chapter. It gave me a completely different view of all 
> pianos seeing how they are put together to make a musical instrument. 
> Seeing how they start with the backframe then add the soundboard, then 
> the plate and pinblock, then strung, chipped to pitch (or close to it), 
> then the case is added, etc. 
> 	I feel this will be a great learning experience for me. I will have 
> tech support from the manufacturer, but if anyone has any insight or 
> experience on this, please share. I think that as this project does 
> progress, I may feel inclined to share my experience with everyone. This 
> just does't happen everyday (to me, anyways).
> 
> Mike Masters
> Masters Piano Service
> Lakewood, OH