snappy tuning pins

[Nichols]

Greg,
    I've never found plate binding to cause snappiness. If, for some 
reason, you DO need to drill the plate webbing, a magnet is very handy for 
picking up the fillings. (try to not magnetize the strings) For snappy or 
uneven pins, I've had success with a VERY thin solution of Garfields Pin 
Block Restorer. Instead of 50/50 alcohol to resin, I use a 10% solution, 
and apply it sparingly. Sometimes, it has worked like magic. Others, not so 
much, although I've never noticed any problems afterwards. My region is 
extremely dry, your mileage may vary.

Regards,
Guy Nichols


At 09:44 PM 2/21/2005 -0800, you wrote:
>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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