Hi James
If there is mold or mildew on the premises, there will most certainly be mold in/on the piano in the future. You may not be able to see it yet, but it will most certainly be there. I have seen mold so bad it grew all the way down the threads of the tuning pins into the pinblock. If this is an insurance situation I highly recommend stating plainly and in writing that mold contamination is highly likely, and that remediation for pianos is not possible.
Regarding the tuning pins, it sounds to me like the instrument was rebuilt, or the guy at the factory had a bad day. I know I've seen some bellymen do the majority of stringing and then come back to tap the pins down and refine the pin height, so distractions may have taken place.
Regarding your hammer flange concerns, here is what I have experienced in the rebuilding shop and field. I have labeled this as: "Right spec, wrong content."
Hammer flanges that swing 6 times may have excess friction. Don't believe it? If the nature of the swing is gummy or sluggish feeling, or the hammer comes to a screeching halt, you'll be able to make an improvement by repinning. Sometimes you can reduce the down weight by 10g by reaming the bushing and repinning it to have 6 pendulum-like swings that come gently to rest.
If you don't have time to repin, simply take a downweight and upweight sample. To know what the friction is in grams, here is your equation:
(DW-UW) /2 = friction
For example:
Downweight = 58
Upweight = 26
58-26= 32 /2 = 16
Friction = 16g
Anything above 15g is too high, and since most actions play at a 5:1 ratio, the most difference you can make is in the hammer flange friction or in the weight of the hammer.
I hope this helps.
And remember. Mold can be poisonous and toxic, so please do be careful, and be careful to warn your clients as well. Having mold appear down the road may leave your client looking for someone to blame.
Good luck!
Elizabeth
Original Message------
This is a followup to the thread I posted re dating a Steinway Grand.
The piano was in a home here that had not had air conditioning for over a year. Somehow it avoided the ravishes that could have turned it to a rust and mold PSO. A home cleanup service just completed house cleaning and mildew cleanup as well as doing HEPA related work and air dehumidification. I was called to assess the state of the piano . My major concern at this point it the tightness of some of the hammer flanges I tested and rather weird readings I got on swing tests and gram gauge measurements . Perhaps someone can explain why the swing test and gram measurements seem off on the samples I took .
My other big concern is why the tuning pins in the mid section up into the high treble are coming out of the block- and the high torque reading taken with a beam inch lb torque wrench. I believe it is the combination of high humidity, 5.0 pins and the string forces as well as soundboard movement at the core of the matter. My theory is that the piano needs to get to a better environment , settle down and then have the tuning pins tapped down to the proper height using a support block . I am concerned that the tech who tunes the piano after it is moved upstate knows this information so that tuning pins are not broken since I have no idea of the actual torque because it is over the capacity of the beam wrench
TORQUE A0 = 60 " lb; A1 = 90 "lb; A2= 90"lb; A3= 95"lb ; A4= 110"lb
A5= 120" lb ; A6 = 120 +++" lb; A7 = 120 +++ " lb
Hammer Flanges Swings Gram Gauge
D#2 1/2 > 10 G
A3 4 1 G
F6 1.5 1G
C7 1.5 2G
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James Kelly
Pawleys Island SC
843-325-4357
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