broken tuning pin

[Isaac Sadigursky]

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Hi,Ron! Regarding removing brocken tuning pins in verticals,there is actually a third way to do it and it works. Using BROCKEN Screw Estractor of appropriate size it drills in reverse AROUND the stem of a brocken pin,just like removing brocken screw and then the hole can be re-drilled with 1/2" PIN BLOCK material plug and shortly drilled for new #2 tuning pin .Try it on a practice junky pin block material and let me know if it works for you.Best Regards! Isaac Sadigursky 
 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ron & Lorene Shiflet 
To: Piano-Tech
Sent: 12/11/04 11:25:58 PM 
Subject: broken tuning pin


    Well, I did it.  15 years in the business and I finally broke my first tuning pin...um... I mean the pin broke.  I was restringing the bass on an old upright from...well, lets just say it's a family heirloom.    The pins were so loose that I used new pins.  I'm unsure of the size, they were in an old bag laying around.  More than likely  I went  from a #2 to a #4, but the holes were loose, at least those that the owner didn't duct tape the pins in with.  Anyway, this one pin went in really tight.  (I think it was duct taped)  I drove it in and when I went to tighten it and get my coils right, the new pin snapped off at the becket hole.  There is about 1/4 inch of pin sitting above the plate.  I am familiar with 2 methods of dealing with this.  
Drill into the pin and use a broken screw extractor. 
Carefully measure from the backside, drill into the back of the piano, and drive the pin on through the back of the piano.
I opted for method #1.  The pin drilled pretty easy.  It actually surprised me.  The metal was softer than I anticipated.  Unfortunately the tuning pin was so tight that the threads on the screw extractor started to strip.  I then decided to file the sides of the pin so that I could just grab it with my tuning hammer.  Well....it still isn't budging.  As for method #2, I don't measure that close and I really don't want to leave a hole in the back of the piano.  

Since the pin drilled easier than expected, I suppose I could just drill it out, plug the hole with hardwood, then redrill it.  I would imagine that this would be less visible.  Any ideas gang? 
 
thanks in advance.

Ron Shiflet

PS, just to give you an idea of the vintage of this piano, it has no capstans or bridge pins.  (I'm also wishing it didn't have tuning pins.)  The strings terminate over a brass bar/pressure bar system on the bridge so it has no bridge pins.  As for capstans, it uses a wooden lever that raises up and down by a screw system.  Well anyway....


      
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