[pianotech] Rim Separation

[James Johnson]

I found this same problem on a Boston grand a couple years ago.  It was separated around the entire perimeter of the piano and the crack was 1/16" wide in some areas.  Fortunately, the piano was only a year or two old and the dealer replaced it with a new piano.  I don't know what the factory did to repair it after that.  The suggested the flip and pour repair, but I didn't think the customer should have to settle for that on a nearly new piano so they pushed for replacement.  (By the way, this piano was a replacement for their first piano which shed  portions of the plate guilding leaving large areas of bare iron showing in the area of the sound holes.  Their third piano has been problem free.)
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Barbara Richmond 
  To: pianotech 
  Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 5:39 AM
  Subject: [pianotech] Rim Separation


  Greetings list,

  I brought this up a couple years ago--cracks (separation) between the inner and outer rims in a Kawai grand.  Different piano, out of warranty and I've got customers interested in purchasing it.  I had a pleasant talk with Mark Wisner at Kawai.  If the piano was in warranty, the repair would be the ol' flip the piano over, fill 'em up with epoxy, sand and touch up the finish on the bottom of the rim.  I could find a mover to help me do the job, but I was wondering if anybody out there has ever heard of a problem caused by these separations.  Noise?  Obviously, I don't know how long the cracks have been there; the piano, a KG-2, is about 15 years old.  I am inclined to say, "let's just leave it and if there's ever a problem we'll fix it"--unless someone gives me a good reason not to...  :-)

  Thanks for your help.

  Barbara Richmond, RPT
  near Peoria, Illinois


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