Steinway M Agraffe - Broke?

[Avery Todd]

List,

Below is a short compilation I made some time ago on this subject.
Haven't seen any of these ideas posted, so maybe this will help.
If not now, maybe in the future for someone.

Avery

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There was an extensive discussion of this some while back and will
be in the archives. Do use Liquid Wrench. Use it BEFORE working on
the agraffe. I like to drill two holes, opposite each other at the
edge of the stub, 1/16" or smaller. The drill will follow the path
of least resistance and cut the brass, not the iron. Cut a screw
driver of the appropriate size into a Vee shape so the points go
into the holes and give a sharp quick twist of the driver will
loosen and turn out the stub. If you have enough room you may be
able to still do this. If it is really jammed in there you need to
call out the pros. Alternatively you can call in a machinist.
Alternatively you can call in a chemist, who can provide an acid
that will dissolve the brass, then a base to neutralize the acid.
I hope you have better luck. Newton

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I had the unenviable experience of losing an easy-out tip in an
agraffe shank. After a sprained wrist, a titanium (?) drill bit and
a few hours of swearing and sweating, I finally managed to *carefully*
drill around the busted easy-out part, extract it, then proceeded to
use progressively larger bits to more or less drill out the agraffe
remnant. At some point, the remnant decided to cooperate and it drove
its way out the bottom of the plate. Wish I'd realized that you can
(sometimes) go *either* way with a busted agraffe remnant *long*
before all of that easy-out business messed things up! Ron Torrella

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The best advice I have ever received on extracting broken agraffe studs
is to use a tool that you can make yourself. Get a small screwdriver
with a blade that is 3/16 wide. File the end like the illus. below:
_____________ ( / )___________\_ You make this with a file edge placed
at a slight angle across the face of the blade. Position the angle so
that there will be a cutting edge to dig into the bottom of the stud
from below the pinblock. If the screw- driver is short enough, you can
tap the points into the bottom of the stud. Turn the driver clockwise
looking upward into the plate hole and stud. If you had not broken the
easy-outs in the top, you could have used this tool in the counter
clockwise direction looking from above. If you ever have a case like
this again, use this tool from above. In most cases, it comes out quite
easily.

Another approach to this problem is to use a left-handed drill bit from
the top. Use a slow speed drill, or tap holder. When the drill catches
in the brass, the stud will usually come right out. If or when all else
fails, you can do like I did on my first job. Drill out the whole thing.
Steinway has available a repair agraffe for which you must tap a larger
hole. At least I think that's where I got mine back in '52. You can see
I've done it all three ways. Guess which one I like the best.
Jim Coleman, Sr.

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Warning: if you try to drill more with a hard drill bit, there is a good
chance the bit will catch on the broken easy-out and will also break off
in the agraffe. This will leave you with a small amount of brass and lots
of very hard steel in there. Ask me how I know!!! One big problem with
easy-outs is that they can actually tighten the brass more in the hole.
This is why they can break off in the hole like yours did. Try the
sharpened screwdriver idea first. Give it a few minutes and try to get a
really good bite in the brass, then see if it won't spin out. If this
fails, get a right angle drill and some good sharp drill bits. They don't
have to be especially fancy, just sharp.

Using a mirror on the keybed, carefully centerpunch the bottom of the
agraffe. A short center punch and a hammer held sideways will allow this.
Slowly and carefully, paying special attention to the vertical alignment
of the drill bit, drill up from the bottom until you hit the bottom of the
easy-out. Keep your pressure light and you will feel the drill bit hit the
hard steel. Once you have drilled through to the easy-out stub, take the
drill away and insert a small drift punch into the hole from the bottom,
tap up on the easy out, and it should come loose easily. Get it out of
there, drill the hole clean all the way through from the top, then get back
to removing the agraffe. From here it depends on how much brass is left in
the hole. If the remaining brass is thin you can just tease the remaining
material away with a jeweler's screwdriver. If there is much left you should
try again to spin the agraffe out with the screwdriver, or something similar.
Since you will have a hole in the middle, a small Phillips screwdriver may
also be able to grab in the hole. Be sure you have the tap to clean up the
threads before installing the new agraffe. Steinway can tell you the correct
diameter and TPI. Best of luck.
Don Mannino RPT

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Re: removing broken agraffes, The modified screwdriver is nice but if you
have a reversible drill handy, another great way is to use a left hand drill
bit available from good machine shops. When used in a reversible drill, the
agraffe stub usually ends up turning out before you've drilled very far into
the stub. This is due, in part, to the heat that is developed in the drilling
process breaking down any corrosion. This is a "must have" tool for anyone
working on "potential agraffe breakers"!! Good Luck!! Brian De Tar, RPT