Hitch Pins

[Les Smith]

One final comment on the use of a nail to replace a broken hitch pin
vs. a cast iron replacment similar to what was originally used. I
HAVE seen cut-off nail hitch pins fail a number of times. A couple
of years ago I saw a grand piano which had been restrung by an unknown
tech. In the process he had broken three hitch pins and replaced them with
nails. All three failed. By the time I saw the piano, the nails had bent
around until they were inclining towards the front of the piano and their
respective strings had slipped off the nail and were just lying on top
of the other strings. The tech had drilled vertical holes in the plate,
inserted his nails and then bent them backwards. It was not possible to
drill a second hole, behind his, angled towards the back, because the
case interfered with the drill, even using a 90 degree adapter. You
don't want to EVER find yourself in such a position. If you use a nail
to replace a hitch pin in a customers fine S&S, or M&H grand, and then
he calls you back in a month or two because it has failed, and upon returning
you find that you don't have room to drill a second hole, you could find
yourself contemplating the question: "How much does a new plate for a
Steinway B cost, anyway!!!! For this reason I consider a broken hitch
pin to be a SERIOUS problem. If you're lucky, you may never encounter a
broken hitch pin, but if you do, you usually only get one chance to get
it right. Make it count.

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net