Chickering brass flanges

[JIMRPT@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 4/06/2001 7:29:01 PM, you wrote:

<<"I have never tried the heat treatment. Anyone with some suggestions, or is 
willing to do it?">>

Wim;
 If you will recall two years ago (?) I reported on a Chickering rebuild with 
a set of these thingees.  There were numerous cracked hammer flanges and all 
of the rest were very brittle. I annealed the ones without cracks and 
verrrrry carefully annealed and silver soldered the ones with cracks.  
Results so far on the work is that this piano is used by three youngsters 
taking music lessons and so far is standing up very well...i.e. no cracked 
flanges. :-)
Jim Bryant (FL)
Note: This work was a "restoration" vs a 'rebuild' and that is what lead to 
the effort to save the flanges.