Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info

End-of-Year Fundraising Drive In Progress. Please visit our home page to see this and other announcements: https://www.mmdigest.com     Thank you. --Jody

MMD > Archives > March 2000 > 2000.03.06 > 09Prev  Next


Cracked Piano Plate Can Be Welded
By Larry Mayo

[ Craig Brougher wrote in 000305 MMD: ]

> Curing piano plates outdoors was extra insurance for this at one
> time.  Let a plate sit outside and rust awhile, and much of that
> built-in stress can be distributed a little ...

Aging the cast iron is done to allow for uneven stresses that cause
warping, and possible cracking.  It does nothing for the iron other
than allowing the manufacturer to weed out improperly stressed pieces.
Green iron is not stable, and if machined too quickly, will only warp
with age.

> Regarding my one broken piano plate, I brought the plate to a fine
> welder in three pieces: two very large sections and one segment.

> He brazed it back together, and promised it would be three times
> stronger than originally.  It worked wonderfully, and the piano is
> still being played.  I asked about cast iron rod.  He said simply,
> "It doesn't work.  Here's how you do it."

With due respect, the only proper and proven way to prevent
recracking is to heat the piece in a furnace, and torch weld it with
like material, cast iron rod.  No reputable restorer of cast iron does
otherwise.  Without this process, and proper execution, the piece
_will_ crack again.  If not now, later.  Failure to heat the piece,
and then cool it properly only creates another set of stress problems.
Your friend may be thinking of electrowelding.

Larry Mayo


(Message sent Mon 6 Mar 2000, 20:09:39 GMT, from time zone GMT-0600.)

Key Words in Subject:  Be, Can, Cracked, Piano, Plate, Welded

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page