a success!

[tom driscoll]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Maggie Jusiel" <mags@magsmusic.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 7:35 PM
Subject: a success!


> Just wanted to share a success story with those who gave me so many
> directions on using CA glue...
>
> It was a very old (tall) upright.  The first thing I noticed was that
> there wasn't anything covering the pinblock (no metal plate, etc.), and I
> could see the cracks.  The second thing I noticed was that all the strings
> were approximately a 12th flat or lower.  I tried to pull a few up...no
> good...went right back down.  Because of my previous experience with CA
> glue, I thought it might not be enough, so I hammered the pins in further.
> (One hit pushed them to the coils!)  This also opened up the cracks in the
> block a little more, but not too much.  After that, all but a few would
> just barely hold a pitch if I took the hammer off the pin very carefully.
> There were lots of people there willing to help move the piano, so it was
> no trouble getting the glue in.  It was very interesting because as I put
> glue in one location, we could watch it travel through the cracks to other
> pins, filling up the gaps as it went.  While the glue was drying, I took
> my time doing some other repairs, and they fed me. :D  When the glue was
> "dry enough", I went ahead and brought it up to pitch.  It held quite
> nicely.  I was happily surprised!  :D     I've used CA glue before on
> other pianos, but none of them were this bad.  I don't know if I needed to
> force the pins in further, but I think it helped, and it allowed more glue
> in.  Hope that was the right thing?!?!?
>
>
> Maggie Jusiel

Maggie,
   No it was not the right thing. Jamming the coils against the Plate and or
block is the last thing you should do.
    Let the CA do its job , replace the block or walk away.
    What is a 12th flat?
    Piano technicians measure pitch  in cents.
    Tom Driscoll
>