Restoring old uprights

[Charles Neuman]

I have some followup questions on this subject. The subject interests me a
lot, and I've been gathering information on it whenever I can.

1) I'm curious what the answer is to Roy's first question: "Can you replace
a pin block in an old upright with completely tearing the back apart?" It
sounds like people have suggested better alternatives, but I'm curious if it
could be done.

2) In the method with the maple or pinblock material plugs, that requires
taking the plate off, right? Otherwise I can't see how you'd get the plug
in. Might be a silly question.

3) "Jolly Roger" responded as follows: "Andre Boldoc sells all the specialty
tools and instructions for
performing this task efficiently..." Is he talking about replacing the
pinblock, or filling and re-drilling the holes?

4) Roy said that sometimes oversized pins don't work to his satisfaction. In
those cases, what is the problem? Can that problem be determined ahead of
time, or is it trial and error?

5) Regarding using oversized pins on an old upright: Is that just a way to
get the job done in a reasonable and affordable way for the customer, or is
it something you would do if money weren't an issue? The reason I ask is
that I've heard various opinions on it. On the one hand, the pinblock on an
old upright is well protected from the elements and therefore can last much
longer than a grand pinblock. On the other hand, you can't really see the
condition of the pinblock, and by using larger pins you might just be
delaying or not dealing with a problem (like cracks). Can someone jump in
and offer more opinions?

Thanks,

Charles Neuman
PTG Assoc.
Nassau County, NY