Agraffes

[Barrie Heaton]

Dear Ed,

An interesting article.  I've always removed and cleaned my agraffes or
replaced them, if I thought it was necessary.  Your method of reeming
sounds quite interesting.  However, one part does concer me you say you
keep the drill going and do the full set.  Does this not cause a
variation in the accuracy of the reiming due to the heat expansion of
the reimer, do you start with the treble section and work towards the
base to compensate for the expansion, or is the agraffe struckture too
soft to create that much heat transfer to the reimer.

Regards,

Barrie.

>    The custom countersink, as shown by Chris Robinson, is an elegant bit of
>toolwork, the sort of tool that  gladdens any machinists heart.  I loved
>using it.    It will, with the proper care and skill, render the agraffe
> bearing holes like new, (minus a little brass).  With poor application, it
>will destroy agraffes and careless fingers with equal ease.   I treat
>agraffes before restringing,  with a homemade tool,  and I think I am getting
>my desired results, more consistantly, and more easily.
>
>     Use a 10 inch length of the heaviest bass core wire trimming you have,
>get it as straight as possible.  At one end,  roll it strongly between two
>files, (just like the old manner of making center pin reamers).  I cannot
>offer advice on mill, bastard, or otherwise,  it doesn't seem to make much
>difference,
>
>     Carefully smooth the cut end on a grinder or file,( it will be digging
>into the plate, otherwise), and leaving the first1/8" round, swedge the
>roughened part.  Swedge it wide enough to just barely resist going in a hole
>of the agraffe.  This is all there is to it.  You have made an adjustable
>file with two rounded "cutting edges", and a tapered width.   If needed, you
>can swedge it again to make it wider.
>
>   I chuck this piece of wire up in a 1/4" ,(important!)=>variable speed
>drill,  preset on fairly low to medium speed.  Then with some chalk on my
>fingers,  I use the round end of the wire to align the file in the agraffe,
>pull the trigger, and ream  once in and out.
>     Once you get the feel for steering the wire,  an entire set can be done
>without stopping the drill.  The occasional hole that doesn't provide
>resistance gets a chalk mark.  After I have finished the set,  I will swedge
>the file once more, lightly and try the larger holes, if the agraffe seems
>suspect,  I replace it.
>    Assuming that the same diameter wire is going back in the hole,  the
>indentation left from the previouse wire needs very little metal removed to
>provide a fresh seat.
>It takes off just enough brass that you can see a glimmer of dust forming on
>the wire, it burnishes almost as much as it grinds.  Besides,  it is very
>forgiving,  just don't try it with too long a length, or too fast a speed.
> It will cut, (DAMHIK)
>
>Regards,
>Ed Foote
>Precision Piano Works
>Nashville, Tn
>
>
>





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Barrie Heaton                                  |  Be Environmentally Friendly
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