snappy tuning pins

[John Ross]

Sounds like a glazed tuning pin hole. Caused by an error in drilling.
Try removing the pin, and either wire brush the hole with a wire brush 
similar to a gun cleaning one, or swab the hole with pin driving fluid. 
Which I think is just spar varnish.

John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Graham" <grahampianos@yahoo.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 1:44 AM
Subject: snappy tuning pins


>I have tuned a few pianos with a handfull of tuning
> pins on each that snap: I pull, pull harder, pull
> really hard, and BANG!  It sounds like the string
> broke, but, after my heart stops pounding, the string
> is OK, and not significantly changed in pitch.  These
> otherwise excellent pianos are all grands without
> tuning pin bushings.  There must be a way to fix this.
>
> My theory, which I am hoping you can confirm, is that
> these few pins are rubbing and binding on the plate.
> The pins seem off-center, and closer to the plate than
> others, but it is hard to see down in the gap to know
> for sure.
>
> Is it possible to pull out the tuning pin, drill the
> cast iron slightly larger with a hand drill (letting
> the chips fall through the open hole in the pinblock),
> and reinstall the pin?  Are there any pitfalls?  Is
> this something anyone does?  If the holes don't go all
> the way through the block, is there a cool way to keep
> the chips out?  I don't recall seeing this in print.
>
> I suppose the next question would be: How do you get
> the owner to pay for it, since it won't have a
> noticable impact on the touch, tone, etc, (though a
> few notes may be in better tune).
>
> Greg Graham
> Graham Piano Service
> Brodheadsville, PA
>
>
>
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