Discussion Posts

So I'm pretty certain that what I'm looking for is paper based phenolic sheet.  I just put in an order with mcmaster.com for three 24"x24"sheets of brown "Garolite XX" in 1/32",1/16", & 1/8"  price without shipping is $38.    Mcmaster.com is an excellant ...

This reeks of BS, as usual. How about taking some empirical evidence regarding S&S high trebles. They can be as wooden as any other high treble, and, infact, unless hammer weight, hammer strike point shape, strike point are correct, the high treble is ...

Is there any documented testing results that prove that having the bevel to block the endgrain of spruce reflects the soundboard vibrations? -chris Chernobieff Piano Restorations Chris Chernobieff ( pronounced chur-no-bif ...

Hi Peter, Yes the word Phenolic hits on of the qualities of that stuff...  very stable good material.     thanks, David ------------------------------ David Stanwood Stanwood Piano Innovations Inc. West Tisbury MA 508-693-1583 ------------------- ...

Reading Mario’s book, he describes the hardwood bevel acting to clamp the board and cover the end grain in order to better reflect the vibrations from the soundboard. It seems to be from the 1870s. Joe Wiencek ------Original Message------ On the high ...

David, I'm pretty sure that the stuff is "vulcanized fiberboard". Made from cotton (cellulose). There are numerous sources online in thicknesses from .010" - .500".  It is often used as an electrical insulator.  Has properties akin to phenolic resin ...

Thanks so much for the link to discussion on duplexes. Mention is made of nudging them . . . but clearly only after detensioning. Having heard the effect of well tuned duplexes I'd like to encourage any who haven't taken notice of them before ...

Hi Alan,   Yes that's the material.  No I'm not looking for punchings.  It's an excellat shimming material and would love to have different thicknesses on hand.   Maybe Jürgen would come up with a source.    David ------------------------------ David ...

Discussion of the Duplex you might want to wade through in your spare time. https://my.ptg.org/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=94db9e6b-0411-4657-bb8a-b0437d879143&CommunityKey=06a50b7b-c49f-4c2a-b32b-ef78b4ed51cc&tab=digestviewer#bm94db9e6b-0411-4657-bb8a-b0437d879143 ...

Thanks Richard on confirmation of the damper profiles - reassuring. I made a mistaken observation on a previous visit and not having taken a photograph. Apologies. They simply didn't look as I remembered them on my first encounter with the instrument. ...

Steinway's fiberboard is good stuff. It's the one Steinway part that I have put in other pianos. David S., are you referring to the fiber keypin punchings that some high-end manufacturers use in their top pianos? Jurgen can get those. Alan ------------------------------ ...

Those look like Genuine American Steinway damper heads from that period to me. The do not have as pronounce an OG profile, but it's what I see in  Steinways. They are not D shaped as David said originally. R ------------------------------ Richard Adkins ...

You cannot move the bars under tension, so you'd have to let tension down....and then you could tap them forward or backward...but you cannot tune them to the pitch they need to be tuned to, since tension is down. (Basically we don't tune the Steinway ...

Steinway sells a 24" x 40" x 1/32" for $38. Gary Bruce Registered Piano Technician (405) 413-TUNE www.brucepiano.com ------Original Message------ Hi David, I believe you are talking about "Fiberboard" Steinway has it in sheets. Also ...

Hi David, I believe you are talking about "Fiberboard" Steinway has it in sheets. Also look at book binding suppliers. They offer it several dimensions. All the best ------------------------------ Mark Adams Artist Piano Solana Beach CA 858-583-3333 ...

I don't know for sure what it is, but it sure looks like a version of Masonite. ------------------------------ Jim Ialeggio grandpianosolutions.com Shirley, MA 978 425-9026 ------------------------------

We've all seen this high density shim material in various places on older pianos.   It's always brown in color.  Sometimes seen under the stringing felt in the  treble agraffee section.   I've even seen balance rail punchings made out of it.  Looking ...

I spent a week at steinway when Scott Jones was teaching there. He pointed out this feature out when we watched a soundboard being installed as being very important to the structural integrity of the board. After 25 years I don’t remember the details, ...

Dear Peter Thanks - that's brilliant news and comforting. Whilst not relating to this instrument can anyone give details on how Duplex bars can be moved so as to tune the Duplex lengths? Instruments that I've tuned are so much a pleasure when the ...

My understanding is that it creates a stronger joint, and that the angle is to make a larger glue surface.  The concern must have been the narrowness of the rim up there. -chris ------------------------------ If it's pinging, it's not singing, it's just ...

Don't know about the bevel, but the screwing the treble shelf down makes sense, as, if you have ever glued down a board, the treble shelf does not want to go down to the rim easily. The upward stresses in the board at glueup, focus on this area following ...

There were two versions of the newer broached holes.  First they tightened up the broach to fit the rail shape closer to the dimension and shape of the rails... maybe, as you say a couple of decades ago. This first, tighter broach version, still had to ...

David, On the damper head issue alone, I have a 1917 SS M here in the shop that has damper heads exactly like what you show. Don't know if that helps you or not. Just a point of comparison.  Pwg ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH ...

On the high treble portion of the soundboard (grands) there is a roughly 12" long piece of trim screwed to the edge. It is beveled on the bottom edge and glued. Can someone explain to me: 1)  What is it's function (other than decoration)? 2)  Why is ...

David, Seriously cool. I always wondered just how that was accomplished. Thanks for sharing it.  Pwg ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH 603-686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ------------------------------

Hi Joe, The old style Steinway hangers had oversize square holes.  The brass covered rails were positioned in the holes with jigs and soldered in place.  This left lot's of room for errors.   Steinway changed broaching the holes in the hangers so that ...

David, Sooo, do mean to say that SS sent you a  genuine defective part?  One in which their own genuine parts will not work properly without serious modification? TIC Edit: I deleted what might be considered by some as inflammatory.  Pwg ------------------------------ ...

Terry,  Well for one thing no, you can't  measure  how much excessive DB there is (accurately anyway, IMO), but you can identify the  probability  of its existence. I have identified a set of parameters that  taken together as a set indicates a very ...

Less spread could be accomplished by shimming below the screw line. I have tapered sandpaper (usually double-thickness) when the situation called for it. You''ll be surprised at how many nonparallel rails are out there. I use a large pair of dividers ...

Ah, ok. Interesting methods. And if one needed less spread? Joe Wiencek ------Original Message------ Another approach to shimming out the wippen flanges for a greater spread dimension is to insert a piece of piano wire in the same location as Jon ...

Another approach to shimming out the wippen flanges for a greater spread dimension is to insert a piece of piano wire in the same location as Jon describes. On a Steinway-style action rail, the wire nestles in one of the troughs of the cloverleaf profile. ...

By inserting a narrow strip sand paper between the rail and flange, above the screw; you will increase the spread. For this I use a heavy J weight 320 grit sandpaper from Klingspor. If you get the pressure sensitive variety, you can stick two pieces together ...

Opening the spread by shim material in between wip flange and rail.  At this point the client is in favor of getting a new frame from Steinway IFFFFF! they can make it right. ------------------------------ David Stanwood Stanwood Piano Innovations Inc. ...

David, How will you shim the wippen rail? Won’t you have to melt the solder and re-position the rail? Or I’m missing something? Joe Wiencek ------Original Message------ Just goes to show you, CNC is only as trustworthy as your setup calibration, and ...

Dear All Thanks to all who contribute so expertly to this forum. It's a wonderful resource and particularly for a dedicated tuning nerd becoming a reluctant or unintended technician. I had the opportunity yesterday to visit my friend with the 1925 vintage ...

Thanks, Fred. I sort of suspected that the "gap" between the soundboard and cheek was by design - it just looks too clean and neat to be "damage" - but it's good to get confirmation. And I read about the "simulated go deck" procedure somewhere years ago, ...

Peter G. wrote: "Now, I have been successful at identifying excessive DB in a strung piano, however this is largely due to a larger symptom set manifesting itself and I am making a diagnosis based on the full symptom picture, not any angle measurements ...

I think there may be a little confusion about what I am talking about. I'll try to clarify. I am NOT talking about setting up DB on a new or restrung piano. All (or most) of the needed parameters are in plain sight. (e.g. Baldwin accujust, etc) I AM ...

Just goes to show you, CNC is only as trustworthy as your setup calibration, and overall calibration can and does shift...or flange offsets from run to run, have setup problems...or the machine operators boxer's were too tight that day... ------------------------------ ...

------------------------------ Steven Rosenthal Honolulu HI 808-521-7129 ------------------------------

Here is a sequence of photos of the hitch rail I repaired. Unfortunately, I failed to photograph the downward clamping, but in this case it was close enough the the case side that it wasn't that much of a challenge. I frankly don't remember my solution. ...

Another means to clamp bridges and such is to make spring-loaded go-bars (for lack of a better term). The amount of tension can be adjusted by the length of the dowel. A curved end on the dowel aids in getting it situated. ------------------------------ ...

The lack of glue joint between soundboard and liner at the treble is by design. The bridge extension goes to the edge of the board, so the board needs to be floating. Kind of like many harpsichord bridges are undercut at the bass end so it bears on the ...

Israel- Is it possible the instrument is developing a cocked cheek on the right side? You can check by comparing Wixey level measurements or left, right and bent sides the case. This little twist might account for what has happened. I have tried, unsuccessfully, ...

Well, Ed, this is really getting interesting. Photos attached. There is a big gap between the soundboard and the case along the cheek, but there is absolutely no indication that there was ever a glue joint there - there is no trace of glue or any kind ...

Terry, Here's what I have accumulated over the years from this list. ------------------------------ Regards, Jon Page mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com http://www.pianocapecod.com ------------------------------

Hey Jon - what is Baldwin's method for setting DB with their vertical pins? ------------------------------ Terry Farrell Farrell Piano Service, Inc. Brandon, Florida terry@farrellpiano.com 813-684-3505 ------------------------------

Peter G. wrote:   "I have come to believe that there is a reasonable window within which things work pretty well." I presume by "things", you are speaking of downbearing. What you have said is largely true. Especially for new compression-crowned soundboards. ...

without the usual Steinweighs ------------------------------ Regards, Jon Page mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com http://www.pianocapecod.com ------------------------------

Peter, then I assume you disagree with Baldwin's method for setting d/b with vertical hitch pins. I've applied it on the few retro-fits I've done. It works. ------------------------------ Regards, Jon Page mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com http://www.pianocapecod.com ...