The "Ultimate" Pin Tightener

[Les Smith]

>
> Mes Confreres:
>
>    Here is a PERMANENT fix for really bad blocks . . .
>
>  If the tuning pins are really loose, just lay pianoonits bvack,pull a few
> pins out at a time with your trusty vise grips, swab the holes  with a fairly
> viscous epoxy, insert two paper or veneer shims in each hole, hammer in the
> pins, then repeat until all are done.
>
>  The result: tight pins with cracks in block sealed.
>
>    Note To All Academic Theoreticians:  If you haven't tried it,don't knock
> it.  This
> works!  One of my long in the tooth RPT colleagues pulled loose 7-0 pins out
> of
> an old upright, partially filled the holes with epoxy, dropped in 2-0 pins,
> and has been
> tuning this sucker for over ten years.  Tight as a drum.   By the way, if
> you've never
> seen 7-0 pins - - -  they are awesome!
>
> Tunerjim

WOW! Thanks for the tip, Tunerjim. I know that it's unlikely that you'll
ever find a situation where epoxied, veneer-shimmed 7's won't do the
trick, but if you do, there's one other thing you might try, and you don't
even have to lay the piano on it's back. First, carefully tune the piano
to pitch, and then WELD the tuning pins to the plate! That ought to keep
those suckers from EVER tuning again.

Interestingly enough I actually saw such a piano. A past president of the
local chapter of the PTG had one in his collection of piano oddities. Ap-
parently an old farmer had gotten tired of hearing from his tuner that his
piano needed to be tuned more frequently because of loose pins, and so, tak-
ing torch in hand, he forever solved the problem of the pins not staying put!
(Actually the pins might have been brazed to the plate. I don't really re-
member as it was about 10 years ago that I saw it).

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net