bridge repair: Supplemental

[David Love]

Thanks to all who responded.  After giving it more thought, "fuhget about 
it", I believe is the best response.  With the piano in need of a new 
action, bridge cap, pinblock, possibly a sound board (haven't measured yet), 
refinishing, it's debatable whether the value when completed would exceed 
the cost.  I prefer not to epoxy the bridge back together for reasons 
mentioned below and others.  Thus my inquiry about this other seemingly 
impossible solution.  Oh well.  Not wishing to make the customer's problem 
my own, I will pass on the news consistent with my first opinion.  Do it the 
right way.

David Love

>From: Ron Nossaman <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: pianotech@ptg.org
>Subject: Re: bridge repair
>Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2001 12:46:10 -0500
>
> >Encountered a 1928 Knabe (5'8").  The bridge cap, which extends down 
>through
> >both capo sections, is cracked and delaminating with some bridge pin
> >migration.  The rest of the bridge is solid, uncapped and in good 
>condition.
>
>In these old Knabes, the bridge cap grain angle through the treble sections
>was something like 60-70° off parallel to the bridge centerline. There
>wasn't anything else they could have done but crack. I wouldn't expect to
>be able to epoxy the resulting mess back together successfully, so I'd plan
>on recapping.
>
>
> >  The board is good.  The piano has been restrung within the past 20 
>years.
>
>This sets off all kinds of alarm bells. Is there measurable crown in the
>killer octave and above? What's the bearing in that area? Twenty years ago,
>the most common scenario was to shim the board, ignore the presence or
>absence of crown, and lower the plate to get bearing - regardless of how
>much negative crown was forced into the board as a result.
>
>
> > I am trying to determine if
> >its feasible to recap the upper part of the bridge without removing the
> >plate.  Is it possible, or reasonable?  The plate struts do not get in 
>the
> >way of the pinning or notching, but I am trying to figure out how to get
> >around the planing problem.
>
>The planing problems can be relatively easily gotten around with a bull
>nose plane and a plane iron used as a slick (big wide long chisel). There
>is absolutely no way the plate struts won't be in the way for drilling and
>notching though. How will you get the pin angle on the front row just above
>the struts, and the back row just below?
>
>
>
> > Any thoughts.  Budget limitations and the
> >overall value of the piano are considerations.  Any thoughts?
> >
> >David Love
>
>My thoughts are that the piano is worthy of rebuilding, and shouldn't get
>another half way patch up regardless of budget limitations. The last guy,
>after all, didn't fix the bridge cap or replace the pinblock when he took
>his shot, probably because of budget limitations, which is why you are
>looking at what you're looking at now. Another patch up at this stage will
>make you the next "last guy".
>
>
>Ron N

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