Broken Tuning Pins

[Newton Hunt]

Broken tuning pins are common in Russian made pianos.  In Havana there
are many pianos with broken pins but they don't have extractors there
(that work anyway) so there they sit, pianos with too few strings.

I have hand two twist off while I was tuning.  It felt much like my tip
was too loose to turn the pin.  One was not in a tight block so I
concluded there was a defect in the metal.  My experience in Cuba would
indicate flawed or inferior metal.

I know someone who had a broken pin situation and drove the remaining
pin deeper into the block and into the soft blocking behind it.
Inserted a new pin and problem solved.  I don't know that _I_ would try
that, but it worked for him.

                    Newton