Nature of tuning pins, why technicians prefer blue

[Kendall Ross Bean]

David~
 
I concur. (We were really just being facetious about the price). Thanks for
sharing your reasons with us.
 
I use them now on most of my rebuilds. -Except when someone wants me to make
their piano look like the newer Steinways, with nickel plated pins, plate
bolts, and pinblock screws. I'm not sure what to do about that. I try to
sell them on the authenticity of blued pins. Sometimes it succeeds. But as
long as Steinway is pushing nickel pins, it's an uphill battle. 
 
Yes, I prefer blued steel pins too.
 
But like all small children, I want to know, why?
 
(Why do they feel better? Look nicer? Make us feel better about the rebuild
we just did? Make us feel closer to those piano builders of yesteryear?)
 
I have a similar issue with pedals. On many vintage pianos made around or
before the 1920's, nickel plated cast iron (or steel) pedals were the norm.
 
They were strong, and they didn't bend or deform (they might ultimately
break, if a pianist had a lead foot, but I've never seen one bend.)
 
Alas, the nickel plating would wear through and people didn't like the look,
the "bald spot" on the pedal where the shoe had worn through the plating.
Obviously, some complained.
 
Now we have solid brass pedals. They bend. Most of the time when I am
rebuilding a pedal lyre, I find the sustain or the soft pedal, or both, are
significantly lower than the sostenuto pedal. Why? -Because they are not
strong enough to withstand heavy usage and they get bent over time. I would
much rather have a cosmetic problem emerge, by and by, than a structural one
like this. (But the solid brass pedals will never have a bald spot.) And
yes, since they are fairly soft brass, you can straighten them out, which I
often do. But before long they will be bent right back like they were.
 
I understand blued pins will ultimately rust in highly humid climates, like
they have in the Deep South or along the Eastern Seaboard. Perhaps that was
the cosmetic problem Steinway (and other manufacturers) were trying to
address with the nickel pins. (Even nickel plated pins will corrode (or
maybe it's the steel under the plating) with time and humidity as well, just
takes longer. But perhaps all they needed was long enough to get through the
warranty period.)
 
~Kendall Ross Bean
 
PianoFinders
www.pianofinders.com <http://www.pianofinders.com/> 
e-mail: kenbean at pianofinders.com
 
Connecting Pianos and People

  _____  

From: David Love [mailto:davidlovepianos at comcast.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 8:45 PM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: RE: Nature of tuning pins, why technicians prefer blue 



They look nicer (in my view) and, perhaps more importantly, they have a
better grip and feel with the tuning tip than nickel pins.

 

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com 

 

And last but not least, the real reason technicians insist that blued pins
are better! (they are cheaper!) ;-).

 

 

~Kendall

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20080709/9b2e8b18/attachment.html