doping pinblock/piano upside down

[Diane Hofstetter]

John,

  Having once restrung a piano in one of my dad's customer's home, I highly 
recommend against _any_ major work in a customer's home.  Customers do not 
understand about the different things we do to their pianos (isn't it 
drilled into every child from an early age, "don't pound on the piano?"

  It's even worse when it's a beloved family heirloom!

  It's easy to CA glue a block witht the piano upright and the glue goes 
wherever needed. How can it possibly be harder to pull the action and put 
some plastic and newspaper in the keybed than it is to turn the piano upside 
down?

  You've started a good thread, some very interesting comments from others 
so far.

  Diane Hofstetter



>From: "John M. Formsma" <jformsma@dixie-net.com>
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: "PianoTech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Subject: doping pinblock/piano upside down
>Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 06:51:12 -0600
>
>List,
>
>Some time ago, Dr. Jim (I think it was he) posted a technique for doping an
>old pinblock. Rather than attempt to drizzle the solution from the top, one
>would do this from the bottom of the pinblock while the piano was upside
>down. I have a 1936 Baldwin Monarch with serious pinblock attention needed.
>After talking with the customer about various options, I will apply CA to
>the block. The customer knows this is a no-guarantee "band-aid" fix at 
>best,
>but is willing to try it since the piano has some sentimental value. (I
>applied some CA already to test what the outcome might be. The pins are 
>much
>less jumpy, and would hold tuning fairly well. I am optimistic about their
>being OK after a second application.)
>
>When I woke up this morning, my mind had already been thinking about the
>upside down method of application. (I guess we think while we are asleep.)
>Since this is a very small grand (probably 4' 5" or 4' 7"--didn't measure),
>I think I could turn the piano upside down by myself in the customer's 
>home.
>The pins have been driven in further already, and some are very close to 
>the
>plate. Applying the solution from the bottom would eliminate the need for
>being careful about getting CA on the coils and plate.
>
>Is my thinking correct about turning the piano upside down? What are your
>thoughts? Any experiences--good or bad?
>
>Carl Meyer posted his success with epoxy. Is that preferable to CA, or will
>both get the job done well?
>
>Thanks,
>
>John Formsma
>Blue Mountain, MS
>
>

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