Removing a Steinway Pinblock is a bit of a challenge. Steinway glues and dowels their pinblocks to the sides, the shelf and the stretcher of the piano. Trying to remove this pinblock with just chisels and force can be disastrous. It can result in a broken stretcher, or a keybed being broken from the frame, not to mentions several hours of frustration.
I personally want to use the old pinblock as a pattern for the new one being installed, so I also want to remove it somewhat intact. To accomplish this, I use a cutter mounted onto a router to cut the pinblock away from the stretcher. The router rests on the front of the stretch as the cutter is moved across the front of the piano. This a very dangerous tool, and great care must be take not to maim yourself or the piano.
Then I remove any screws used to fasten the block to the shelf, and also drill out the 5 dowels that are also going into the shelf. A portion of the ends and corners of the block must be chiseled out- about 2/3 of the thickness of the block. I then use a pinblock support devise to break the block loose on the treble side This must be done with care, but the block should break loose without too much resistance. After the treble end is free, the bass end can be popped out by carefully raising the treble end.
This whole process should only take 30-45".
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