Thump, You are probably correct to try to get the pinblock down to a moderate dryness, especially if it had for some reason been subjected to rather high humidity. But it may take longer than you think to equalize moisture in a multilaminate. Drying the block down too much would not be good as it may start the process of compression set around the pin faster than it will occur normally. Eventually the wood fibers around the pin get damaged from seasonally expanding into something that won't give, the pin. And I sure would hate for some of the new blocks I see to more dramatically increase their torque those first few summers :-( Understand the forces, a little common sense, moderation, yadda yadda. I plan to drill some pins into a regular piece of wood to see if it really does act the opposite of a pinblock. Ken Jankura Fayetteville PA ----- Original Message ----- From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 8:56 AM Subject: Re: Drying pinblock before stringing > Thanks for clearing that up Ken, > However, when reading the part about wood cells > around tuning pins, it seems to support my practice of > drying a block before stringing, doesn't it? > Respectfully, > Thump > > --- Ken Jankura <kenrpt@earthlink.net> wrote: > > Dear Thump, > > OK, one last time, all together now, holes in wood > > act as wood itself would > > act. Fact. Truth. Take it to the bank. > > A FINGER-SIZE HOLE IN WOOD WILL GET BIGGER WHEN WOOD > > IS PLACED IN WATER. > > One note of exception - the hole will initially get > > smaller as water enters > > the wood fibers and cells and spaces by the cut > > edges. But upon equilibrium, > > you'll wonder why you drilled the hole so big. > > Please do it yourself, drill > > a hole in a piece of wood, place wood underwater, > > next day play a game of > > throw the drill bit through hole from 10 feet away > > without touching the > > sides of hole. Ain't that fun? > > Ok, then drill a hole in wood, place it in the > > microwave or oven till dry. > > You will not be able to put the drill bit in the > > hole, guaranteed. I'll > > watch Titanic (can I pick something else?) with my > > finger in the wood in > > water if you do it with your finger in the wood in > > the oven. Deal? Actually > > I wouldn't want to do it, as it might hurt for a > > while, until enough water > > uptake. > > Pinblocks are from another planet and do not follow > > the golden wood rule. > > The wood is constrained from free movement by the > > cross laminations, so the > > only place it can expand or contract is just around > > the cut edges. Wood > > cells shrink just around the tuning pin hole in the > > dry season, so loose > > pins; wood cells swell just around the tuning pin > > hole in humid season, so > > tight pins. > > A piece of wood and a piece of pinblock react > > differently, never ever > > confuse the two or you might get something stuck. > > Read Bruce Hoadley 'Understanding Wood', don't just > > take my word for it. > > Ken Jankura RPT > > Fayetteville PA > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "gordon stelter" <lclgcnp@yahoo.com> > > To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> > > Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 9:15 PM > > Subject: Re: Drying pinblock before stringing > > > > > > > Actually, I have heard plenty stories about pianos > > > strung here in the hot and humid Souweth, in the > > > summer, which develop loose poins when the furnace > > is > > > turned on. I'm merely tryiong to cancel the > > effect. > > > Thump > > > > > > Try this: Drill hole in block of wood, diameter of > > > finger (use mic). Now, insert finger full length, > > find > > > easy chair, dip block in bucket of H2O, watch > > > "Titanic". > > > > > > When film is completed, > > > try to remove finger. > > > > > > Answer question: > > > Does finger get stuck because hole gets A) Larger > > with > > > water added to wood? > > > B)Smaller with water added to wood? > > > Stick hand in oven---(low heat!) > > > Watch "Titanic" again. > > > Does finger come out? > > > Why? > > > > > > Next Question: > > > Chaise longue is to aardvark, as rubber band is > > to: > > > A)"Astroturph" (TM) > > > B)Cold cream > > > C)Rhinocerous > > > > > > --- Richard Brekne <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > gordon stelter wrote: > > > > > > > > > Nope. Its just what holes in wood do, as the > > fiber > > > > > around them contracts from lack of moisure. > > > > > ( Been eating those flowers, again Bambi? ) > > > > > Thumper > > > > > > > > > > > > > Nope... just bringing up another past > > discussion. > > > > Seems that not > > > > everyone agrees with you on this subject. Don > > Manino > > > > for example, (if I > > > > am not mistaken) takes the view that the hole > > does > > > > exactly what would > > > > happen if there was wood there..... shrink. > > > > > > > > I havent gotten around to trying to find out the > > > > truth of the matter > > > > myself. Just constertate that it seems to be an > > open > > > > issue. > > > > > > > > Cheers. > > > > > > > > Anyone got a carrot ? > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Richard Brekne > > > > RPT, N.P.T.F. > > > > UiB, Bergen, Norway > > > > mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no > > > > http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more > > > http://taxes.yahoo.com/ > > > _______________________________________________ > > > pianotech list info: > > https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > pianotech list info: > https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more > http://taxes.yahoo.com/ > _______________________________________________ > pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >
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