Ron Nossaman wrote: > Forgive me Carl, but I have to ask. If you are talking about a break at the > becket hole, how could the tip fit make any difference? Torque at the hole > should be the same, however the tip fits, and that's the only place I've > ever seen a pin break. We agree that pins break at the becket hole. I have to ask, Ron, have you ever broken a pin? (Don't worry, we'll let you keep your RPT card even if you have not had the pleasure.) I really thought everyone had, but maybe I'm wrong. I broke one many years ago and my impression at the time was that I had been careless about seating the tip properly on the pin. If we're not dealing with a high torque situation, you'll probably get away with it. For several years, there were several local 'shops' spitting out repinned pianos with obscenely high torque, so stories of broken pins were not uncommon. There is a tendency to bend the pin whenever we attempt to turn it in the block, no matter what tip or technique we use. If the tip contacts the pin only at the top on one side and the bottom of the other - which is what happens when the tip is not seated properly, then bending forces are exaggerated considerably. Pins are not wrenched off when they break, they are bent/snapped off. At least that's how it felt at the time. Carl Root, RPT
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