Thanks, Wim. I appreciate your input. There are a couple of reasons I think it¹s a new block, but of course there¹s a chance I¹m wrong (too many assumptions?): Assumption #1: The piano clearly has had major work done to it, including soundboard shimming and re-stringing, and I guess it¹s hard for me to imagine that someone went to all that trouble and didn¹t install a new block, especially knowing the piano dates from 1961 (they ought to have known that as well). Of course, the work doesn¹t look like it was all done properly, so assuming anyone doing the job would most likely have installed a new block could be a bad assumption? Assumption #2: When I compare the front edge of the pinblock visible just under the stretcher to other 1961 Baldwin Ls at the school, they¹re different. On the others, the beveled edge is painted black. On the piano in question, although beveled, it¹s not black, and I can see the bottom 3-4 thin laminate layers of the block, which looks ³new.² This and what I can see of the underside and side edges leads me to think it¹s a replacement. Assumption #3: I¹m thinking whoever drilled the block perhaps didn¹t drill properly, or used wrong sized bit, causing loose pins even when first done. Also, I have no idea why they left the pins so high: several threads showing on many, many pins -- not down in the plate, but well above it! Assumption #4: I¹m assuming someone else, later, came along and drove the couple sections of pins down that have their coils just above the plate. Then, since that didn¹t increase the torque enough, they used CA glue. Since driving didn¹t seem to work for someone else before, and many pins are already close to the plate, that¹s why I¹m thinking re-pin. Bottom line, driving the remaining pins won¹t let me fix those that are already driven as far as practicable. Yes, I know what they say about the word ³assume.² :) I guess I prefer to think I¹m making ³educated guesses.² :) Believe me, I know a new block is the best solution to my tuning dilemma here, but it¹s not going to happen now, or for some time to come, so I¹m trying to work with what I¹ve got, both to create a more satisfying tuning experience for myself, and to create a better-tuned piano for the students. Am I analyzing this situation correctly? Any additional thoughts or ideas? Any way to ascertain for sure if it¹s a replacement block? Also, what about trying to re-pin just a handful of pins and see what result I get? Does anybody ever do that as a ³test² for likelihood of getting a good result? BTW, I¹ve re-pinned an entire 1960 Kawai KG before, and just went ahead and did it, getting a good result. Difference here is, it¹s not a private client. I have to carefully consider where I invest my time, with about 65 pianos staring me in the face. :) Paul -- Paul Milesi Registered Piano Technician (RPT) Piano Technicians Guild (202) 667-3136 (202) 246-3136 Cell E-mail: paul at pmpiano.com Website: http://www.pmpiano.com Address: 3000 7th Street NE, Apt. 204 Washington, DC 20017-1402 From: <wimblees at aol.com> Reply-To: <pianotech at ptg.org> Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:00:38 -0400 To: <pianotech at ptg.org> Subject: Re: [pianotech] Tuning Pin Replacement AFTER CA Glue Paul Unless you're positive that a new block was installed, the best solution is a new block. Someone once told me, and I have personal experiences, that Baldwin blocks do not repin well. Before re-pinning, the blocks didn't feel like they needed to be replaced, but for some reason, within a couple of years, I wound up having to do that anyway. If replacing is still not an option, since you said the pins were set too high, why don't you try driving the pins first? Be sure to support the block, and of course you'll have to retune a couple of times, but that's still easier than re-pinning. Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician Mililani, Oahu, HI 808-349-2943 Author of: The Business of Piano Tuning available from Potter Press www.pianotuning.com -----Original Message----- From: Paul Milesi <paul at pmpiano.com> To: PTG Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Tue, Sep 22, 2009 7:03 am Subject: [pianotech] Tuning Pin Replacement AFTER CA Glue I would appreciate any advice anyone might be able to offer me regarding replacing the tuning pins in a 1961 Baldwin L with, I believe, a replacement pinblock that was subsequently treated with CA glue. Will the old CA glue cause any probl ems when pounding in new pins. I think one size larger would yield adequate torque. The piano is in a school, and was ³rebuilt² at some point in the past. It has ³new-ish² hammers, shanks, flanges, a shimmed and refinished soundboard, possibly recapped bridge, new-ish bass strings (still shiny). Fundamentally a nice piano. It appears a new block was installed, and the piano definitely has been restrung. Unfortunately, the tuning pins were left waaaaay too far out of the block, and most are flagpoling. Some sections were pounded down (later, I assume, by someone else?), but must be this failed to provide adequate torque, so CA glue was used on some pins (visual evidence, feel). Excessive dryness from HVAC has been a chronic problem in this facility since it opened in 1961. I have a new Life Saver System I will be installing. Why re-pin? Because I¹m not a fan of pinblock restorer or CA glue. So to get the torque up I am thinking of trying a full re-pinning. There¹s no money for another rebuild or move to shop, so I am trying to make this piano serviceable where it is in the band and small group rehearsal room (currently in use there). With tuning stability, it¹s parts indicate it could be well-regulated and voiced, becoming a very clean, respectable rehearsal room piano (6¹1²). Thanks for the help. Paul -- Paul Milesi Registered Piano Technician ( RPT) Piano Technicians Guild (202) 667-3136 (202) 246-3136 Cell E-mail: paul at pmpiano.com Website: http://www.pmpiano.com <http://www.pmpiano.com/> Address: 3000 7th Street NE, Apt. 204 Washington, DC 20017-1402 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20090922/a890a30b/attachment.htm>
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