Pianotech

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

I would suggest that the loose pins be removed, the hole lightly be cleaned with a soft wire brush (gun cleaning brush?), and 7.0mm x 60mm pins be installed. Kawai often sends 7.0 x 64 (1/0) or even 7.15 x 64 (2/0), and these will be too tight!  The factory pins are 6.9mm x 64mm

The wire brush will clean the inside of the holes, and that will help with the jumpiness tremendously.

When the pins become tighter as you spin them out, it is because the bushing is rotating with the pin.  This is VERY common if someone has attempted to tighten the pins with C/A glue - it is super difficult to get the glue to go past the pins and into the block, unless the piano is flipped upside and they are treated from below.

When you turn out the pins, it also helps a lot to remove them slowly with a power drill and be careful not to wobble the drill. If you do it manually, then turn the lever only in a 90º arc, lifting the lever off and moving it back.  So, start at 2 o'clock and rotate to 10 o'clock, lift off and put it back to 2 o'clock.  It is slow, but it usually keeps the bushings in place because then the tuning pin is not being wobbled around in the hole.  That is what causes the bushings to come up - if they haven't been glued to the pin.

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

Cleaning the holes with gun barrel brush is, I think, a very good prophylactic measure against jumpiness. Just be sure not to get too aggressive with it as it removes wood (and we know where that leads). 😉  DAMHIK!

Peter Grey Piano Doctor 

I would suggest that the loose pins be removed, the hole lightly be cleaned with a soft wire brush (gun cleaning brush?), and 7.0mm x 60mm pins be installed. Kawai often sends 7.0 x 64 (1/0) or even 7.15 x 64 (2/0), and these will be too tight!  The factory pins are 6.9mm x 64mm

The wire brush will clean the inside of the holes, and that will help with the jumpiness tremendously.

When the pins become tighter as you spin them out, it is because the bushing is rotating with the pin.  This is VERY common if someone has attempted to tighten the pins with C/A glue - it is super difficult to get the glue to go past the pins and into the block, unless the piano is flipped upside and they are treated from below.

When you turn out the pins, it also helps a lot to remove them slowly with a power drill and be careful not to wobble the drill. If you do it manually, then turn the lever only in a 90º arc, lifting the lever off and moving it back.  So, start at 2 o'clock and rotate to 10 o'clock, lift off and put it back to 2 o'clock.  It is slow, but it usually keeps the bushings in place because then the tuning pin is not being wobbled around in the hole.  That is what causes the bushings to come up - if they haven't been glued to the pin.

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim

A little rosin mixed with alcohol so that it is about the viscosity of fish glue and swabbed around the hole might do the trick. 

First, remove the pin as Don Manino describes, swab the hole entirely with the rosin and re-insert the pin, again very carefully. 

If the pin is too loose, increase a half size. The rosin will remain in the hole and the jumping will be resolved. 

If it's more than 3 pins in the same row, there may be an internal failure in the plank. In this case, a more aggressive approach would

be needed. I have had good luck coating the hole with paraloid and thin viscosity epoxy. Then use the brush as Don indicates to 

size the hole and use a brand new pin. 

Hope this helps. 

Servicing a college with an RX-6 Kawai grand.  It has a half dozen loose/jumping pins.  All together, in the same row of pins.  I'm suspicious of a crack, or a separation in the lamination of the block.   They're still holding, but I really want to avoid having to deal with them the day of a concert.  This particular piano (on the stage in the auditorium) is proving impossible to control climate, with 30% swings in humidity and 10-degree temperature swings.  Additionally, they seem to be unable to keep the Piano Lifesaver System plugged in and filled. 

So --- is CA glue the way to go here?  I've used it to tighten pins, but can I assume that it will also deal with the "jumping"?   Is it worth a try before pulling pins and resizing?  (Which I'm unsure of, given the possibility of a crack.) 

Thanks, as always!

--- Tim