Replacing Upright Pinblocks (was Re: Old uprights)

[Phillip Ford]

>     I disagree!  How do you mean?  The sides don't just "pop" off!  They're
>glued on, and quite securely!  The pinblock does not remove easier than in a
>grand, where it just unscrews (except the ones that are doweled into the
>sides and/or the front stretcher).  It's glued, in many cases, on 4 or 5
>sides out of 6.  And Bolduc's method of drilling a few hundred foot-long
>holes around the perimeter is much more work than in a grand, and the bit
>and jig are quite expensive!
>  ....
>      --David Nereson, RPT

Drilling a few hundred holes?  I'm curious about this method.  Has it been 
described in the Journal?

I don't see why you couldn't just screw a flat 'track' to the area of the 
pinblock beneath the holes, and another 'track' to the top of the rim so 
that the plane of the tops of the tracks is parallel to the face of the 
pinblock.  Run a router along the tops of the tracks and route out the area 
with the holes to the depth of a replacement plank (you wouldn't even have 
to be that exact as to the outside perimeter of the routed area - fill with 
epoxy later).  Cut the plank to length and width to fit into the routed 
area - put a few countersunk screws to locate it (not where one of the 
tuning pin holes will be).  Put the plate in - mark the hole 
locations.  Remove plate - unscrew pinblock - drill on drill 
press.  Reinstall pinblock with epoxy - locate with previously drilled 
screws - fill gaps around pinblock with epoxy.  I wouldn't describe it as a 
piece of cake, but it sounds easier than a Steinway grand pinblock, fitted 
to the plate, and fitted and doweled to the rim and stretcher.  What am I 
missing?

Phil Ford