Hi Gang:  Whew!  I got that pinblock out if the piano -- and it didn't
fall apart either:-)

I laid the piano on it's back and secured it to some 2x12's to keep the
back from 'racking' or becoming unsquare.  I intended to remove the
sides, but at the last moment decided to leave them if possible because
the sides really helps to brace the back.

I had a sneaky feeling that the pinblock was glued to the bottom of the
soundboard, so I got out the old Skilsaw, set the depth to that of the
pinblock, and cut the block to about 2" all the way around, leaving the
outside of the pinblock intact.  I feared that if I attempted to pry
the old block out as a whole, the edge of the soundboard would break
before the glue joint did.  It is a good thing I did!

Using an air-operated tie rod separator (an air-operated tapered fork
used to remove automotive tie rod ends and ball joints) the old block
came right out with almost no splitting.  Now I had the 2" around the
edges to deal with.  I knocked this out with a wood chisel.  Around the
soundboard I had to be _very_ careful.  I was relieved to be able to
leave the sides on the piano.  I know that sounds a little odd, but it
is my first job and I don't want that back to twist.

The area behind the pinblock between the beams was built with little
scraps of wood, looking much like the old wood blocks I used to play
with at my grandmother's house.  (Maybe that is what happened to them!)

I guess they built these things out of everything.  I have yet to see
any antique wooden Tinker-Toy pieces (we all had a set of those, didn't
we?), but I would not be surprised.

I will keep every one posted on my progress.  Will it work?  I hope so.
This is our first pinblock job so, please, wish us luck; throw in a
prayer, too!

Best Regards
Andy & Chris Taylor
Tempola Music Rolls
http://home.swbell.net/tempola/index.htm