Humble request: What to swab loose pin holes with?

[Vanderhoofven]

Hi Thump,

What about filling the pinblock holes with epoxy, allowing it to cure hard, 
and then redrilling for original size tuning pins?  A few years ago I 
researched a little bit about this, and found Epotek 301 epoxy.  Epotek 301 
is optically clear and cures very hard.  It was about $57.00 for a pint of 
epoxy and a small bottle of hardener.  It is measured and mixed by weight, 
using a gram scale.  I have no actual experience using this 
product.  However, in the literature I received from Epotek, some of the 
historic pianos at the Smithsonian had been repaired in this manner, to be 
able to continue to use the original parts.

http://www.epotek.com/   web page for Epotek
http://www.epotek.com/optical.html   web page comparing different optical 
epoxies
http://www.epotek.com/optical_listing.html#Product:%20301  web page for 
Epotek 301

Alternatively, here is another repair that I have used with acceptable 
results.  This was for a old no-name grand piano with really loose tuning 
pins and I had a small budget.  The short story (don't ask) is that I used 
fiberglass resin to fill the tuning pin holes about a third or 1/2 full, 
then while the fiberglass resin was still liquid, I pounded in tuning pins 
one size larger.  The next day the tuning pins were very, very 
tight.  Unfortunately, they were also very jumpy.

I have not seen the piano in six years so I don't know about the longevity 
of this repair.  I got the fiberglass resin from an automotive supply store 
that sold a lot of products for auto body repair.  I don't remember the 
brand of fiberglass resin.    If you do this, be carefull not to overfill 
the tuning pin holes.  No more than 1/3 or 1/2 full.  Otherwise, as you are 
pounding in tuning pins, the fiberglass resin could well up and flood the 
web area of the plate.

These two repairs might work, and are relatively inexpensive.

As far as swabbing tuning pin holes, I have never done that.  I have, 
however repaired a few loose tuning pins by removing the pin, squirting 
thick CA glue in the tuning pin hole and reusing the same tuning pin.  Lots 
of torque after the CA cures.  I am sure that epoxy would also give good 
results and would probably be longer lasting.

Sincerely,
David Vanderhoofven
Joplin, MO

At 01:00 PM 3/2/03, you wrote:
>I have a relative "newbie" tech friend who has gotten
>himself in a bit of a corner: Blasius upright, had
>loose pins of various sizes.  Plate is out and he
>needs to stay in customer's  pre-arranged budget on
>this piano. Is looking for most economical, likely fix
>for pins. (No block replacement or plugging.)
>Is thinking of swabbing with epoxy, reppinning with
>biggest "Lo-Torque".
>      Respectfully,
>       Thump