rebuild with pinblock plugs

[Jon Page]

Last summer I received a job of replacing a pin block on an old
Bechstein. 10 years a local "tooner/teck" plugged the block to
avert replacing. Unfortunately he did not tend to the problem
which caused the tuning pin failure which was the crack in the top
lamination running across the top two sections. The pins WERE
holding but they were being pulled towards the back and reopenning
the crack. The reason for plugs in the first place was that the block is
built into the case.

I elected not to cut into the case also and opted for routing out the block
and inlaying delignit and epoxying it in place.  A bench mount drill press
on the key bed enabled a forstner bit to excavate the bulk and a chisel
cleaned the perimeter. I fitted the inlays >tight<, no rocking or shift. I
used
Epoxy Tech 301 water thin to start wetting the surfaces and thickened it
slightly for the edges. After that set, Marine-Tex rebuilt the top of the
flange angle.

Remapping the holes was about the hardest job on this which I did from the
old string marks on the counter bearing wooden base and the agraffes.
Rather than straight lines for pin rows across the block, I followed the
slight
curve of the plate and ended up with a pineapple effect to the diagonal
lines.

I'll see this piano again this summer, 

Regards,

Jon Page

At 12:54 AM 4/24/99 -0400, you wrote:
>I have been using pinblock plugs when needed for over 15 years. No problems 
>yet. The tuner can't tell from new block. I use 1/2 inch plugs made of 
>delignet that I cut myself. I use epoxy to put them in place. The reason I 
>only do this sometimes is that the procedure takes longer than making a new 
>block. Usually I reserve the plugs for Chickering 4-part blocks, uprights, 
>and mortised blocks. I often drill these out in the piano, especially the 
>blocks that I don't remove! if the pinblock is full of sawdust,
delaminating, 
>or has other prohibitive structural weaknesses, make a new block. I only do 
>it to save time.
>Steve Ganz RPT
>  

Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
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