Schiedmayer Grand Questions

[Joe DeFazio]

Hi all,

Let me start with a huge thank-you to all of you who have contributed  
so much of your time, knowledge, skills, and creativity to this list.   
I have learned a tremendous amount about pianos and piano technology  
from this list via web browsing, searching the archives, and/or  
lurking since about 1999.  Without this list, I'm not sure that I  
would have become a piano technician, and I'm certainly much more  
skilled and knowledgeable because of your efforts.  So, thanks!

I have two areas of inquiry about a current rebuilding project about  
which I would like to get your feedback.  The piano in question is a  
Schiedmayer grand, ca. 1905, about 6' 3", which was previously rebuilt  
(perhaps 30 years ago, I'd guess).  The previous rebuilding job was  
done with varying quality of craftsmanship in different areas, and  
because of the previous rebuild, I'm not sure what aspects what I'm  
seeing are original, and what are the previous rebuilder's  
modifications, if any.

My first set of questions is about disassembly and pinblock  fitting.   
The current (failed) block is not attached to the stretcher (which is  
removable),and is also not attached to the rim at the sides (not to  
mention that it barely touches the plate flange).  As it is now, it  
looks as if you could pull the plate with the pinblock still  
attached.  I've read that this is the case with some European pianos,  
but I've not seen it before here in the USA.  So, here are some  
questions:

1) Can or should I pull the block out with the plate?  If not, I'll  
have to screw some scrap pieces of wood inside the action cavity to  
both the block and the sides in order to immobilize the block while  
the plate comes out, since nothing else appears to be holding it in.   
Easy enough to do, and that would allow me to use Nick Gravagne's  
pattern-making techniques in fitting and sizing the new block, with  
which I am comfortable.

2) Even though the current one isn't, should the new block be glued  
into the rim at the edges?  Marcel Carey mentioned in a 2001 post that  
he had found that the block was glued into the sides on one (or more)  
Schiedmayer that he had encountered.  What would be the best practice  
for this type of piano?

3) David Love mentioned in a 2001 post about a Schiedmayer grand that  
there are two long, thick smooth-headed "rivets" at the front corners  
of the plate that extend through the block and into the shelf at the  
sides of the case.  David, or anyone else who has experienced this,  
how did you get them out?  Were they attached at the bottom in any  
way, or are they more like registration pins?

The second area about which I have questions is the scaling (John  
Delacour, I bet you saw that coming, as you've written about high  
tensions in Schiedmayers).  There are no marks on the plate or bridges  
for string gauges, and I don't know if the stringing scale I'm seeing  
is original or not.  When I started to record the scale data, It  
seemed unusual, so I plotted the plain wire data in Pscale.  Tensions  
are extremely high (almost 19 tons in the plain wire alone!), and the  
high treble is above 80% of breaking point.  I understand that the  
problem is really that the speaking lengths are too long, which I  
can't change without a belly redesign (out of the budget anyway, and  
beyond my current experience).  I also understand that I can't really  
change the plain-wire breaking percentages, either (since wire gauge  
and breaking point are directly proportional).  However, I can reduce  
the overall tension on the plate somewhat via wire gauge changes  
(along with bass rescaling), which I am strongly considering doing.

4) Should I?

5) I'll also ask John Delacour, David Love, Marcel Carey, or anyone  
else with experience with this type of situation for any general  
advice about how to approach the scaling of this piano.

Thanks,

Joe DeFazio
Pittsburgh