[CAUT] pin-block plugging?

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Mark,
	I did a bit of plugging many years ago. I was wary of 3/8", so I  
tried 7/16 (got a plug cutter and made my own). Results were  
disappointing. I am with Ron N on this. Think about it: what you end  
up with is a fairly thin veneer glued between the block and the pin.  
And the veneer is mostly end grain glued to end grain. How stable is  
that likely to be? With 1/2", you do have a chance, but I don't think  
it is really a viable/reliable fix. Judging by my experiences with  
plugging for stripped screw holes (log to lid, for instance), I find  
that you really need a lot of plug wood for the repair to last. Too  
little wood, and the screw just pulls out splinters, even of hard  
wood. For a small screw, I might get away with as small as 3/8", but  
even that is pushing it. Routing out and inserting a panel is the way  
to go, with those troublesome angled pinblocks and the like. Granted,  
if it is just a few pins, I'd likely experiment. But if I were pulling  
the plate, I'd think about routing out larger areas.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On May 4, 2009, at 2:50 PM, Mark Cramer wrote:

> Thanks David,
>
> This is valuable information. I’d wondered about boring from  
> underneath to get a good plug size. There are good portable right- 
> angled portable drills out there, but I worried about my ability to  
> drill a good hole free-hand.
>
> Fortunately this instrument is in the building, so we’ll have it  
> moved into the shop over summer, pull the plate and install about a  
> dozen ½” plugs.
>
> BTW, this piano has 2/0 pins that were feeling a bit loose over  
> winter, with about a dozen 4/0 mystery pins that gave up altogether.  
> So it’s likely an ideal candidate for spot-plugging, and I’m  
> relieved to know that you and several others have had success with  
> the ½” plugs.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark C.
>

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