he's NOT an engineer

[Dean May]

Too funny. I'm an engineer myself and when I worked in industry we had a
saying, "you can always tell an engineer, you just can't tell him much!" 

 

I would think the pin block plugs from Webb Phillips would be easier for him
than fitting a new block.

 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

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From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Willem Blees
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 10:08 PM
To: Pianotech at ptg.org; caut at ptg.org
Subject: he's NOT an engineer

 

Tuned a piano this morning, and also looked at, (in awe), the shell of a 100
year old Julius Bauer grand piano. The stack, with new hammers, shanks and
flanges and wippens, keys without tops and bushings, a new set of bass
strings, the pinblock with all the pins and screws in it, and a box of
tuning pins, were sitting inside the shell. The plate is out on the back
porch, and the soundboard, still attached to the bellyrail, is propped up
against a wall. Also propped up against another wall is the keyframe, with
rusty pins, but no punchings. They are all in a plastic bucket on a bench.
The treble strings are also in a box, somewhere. He took them off without
measuring the scale. 

I asked the guy what he was planning to do. The piano had termites, so he
took it apart, so he could patched up the holes in inner rim. He not only
patched up the holes, but added a sheet of 3/16" think veneer to the inside
of the case on the bass side. He also covered the rest of the outside of the
case with the same veneer. (nice job). He also bought 3 brand new brass
casters. 

I asked him if he had taken any measurements. His response was "Of what? I
have kept all the parts". He's been at this for over 20 years. The one thing
that has kept him from going any further is the pin block. (which is in 2
parts, btw). The top layer is all cracked, so he wanted to add saw dust to
wood glue, and just fill in the cracks. I advised him to get a new block cut
by Schaff, but that it would still needed to be drilled, at a 7 degree
angle. He asked if he could refinish the soundboard before putting it back.
Sure, I said, it won't hurt it any. 

As I was leaving, I asked if he was an engineer. "No, I grew up on a farm,
and we had to make do with what we have". 

I am scheduled to go back next year to tune his other piano. A progress
report will be sent. 

And we thought we had to go to classes, and ask all sorts of questions of
the experts in our field, before we would dare replace a pin block, much
less a soundboard. Measurements, what are those for? Just keep all the
parts.



Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
Piano Tuner/Technician
Honolulu, HI
Author of 
The Business of Piano Tuning
available from Potter Press
www.pianotuning.com

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