Need to find someone who can repair a broken plate

[Alan Barnard]

First, before I say anything depressing, how did you edit the pictures with
the cool spotlight effect?

Second, what kind of piano is this and why does it have so much value to
your family, beyond the instrinsic resale value? (Inquiring minds want to
know.)

Third, are you a piano tech? Working in Japan? (Again, snoopy minds.)

Fourth---and in this there are people with much more direct experience and
knowledge who may poo-poo everything I'm about to say---but it seems to me
that it COULD be repaired by a very good welder who really knows how to
work with cast iron BUT that it would be way out of whack with the "is it
worth it" ratio, at least moneywise, to do so. At least it isn't as
critical a break as, say, part of the middle webbing of a grand plate and
could, perhaps, be reinforced with screws inserted through drilled holes
into a piece of pinblock material, perhaps, which, in turn, could be glued
and screwed to become an integral part of the back support structure, etc.
But .... why?

Alan Barnard
Salem, Missouri


> [Original Message]
> From: Christopher Witmer <cdwitmer at spamcop.net>
> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Date: 05/25/2006 9:59:36 AM
> Subject: Need to find someone who can repair a broken plate
>
> Hi,
>
> I have an irreplaceable upright piano that my whole family thinks the 
> world of, about 10 years old, now suffering from a broken plate. I have 
> been looking into ways of getting it fixed locally (Japan) but have not 
> been having much success and (despite the expense of shipping) I am 
> beginning to think it might be best to ship either just the plate or the 
> entire piano to the USA to have a qualified person effect a repair. I am 
> aware that it is difficult to guarantee the long-term (or even the 
> short-term) success of such a repair, but in this case I think it would 
> be a shame to junk the piano without first trying to repair it. Here are 
> some pics of the break:
>
> http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7940/u122crk12xk.jpg
> http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/9695/u122crk20xq.jpg
> http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/7716/u122crk39gz.jpg
> http://img477.imageshack.us/img477/1556/u122crk43fj.jpg
>
> Any help that folks on the list might be able to give me would be 
> GREATLY appreciated.
>
> THANKS!
>
> Chris Witmer
> Tokyo