removing shanks from butts

[Alan McCoy]

Ed,

I agree that replacing is cheaper and will give better results. However if
you are determined to replace the shanks just cut them off flush with the
butt. Create a jig to hold the butts. The jig and butt then are clamped in a
drill press vise. Drill them out. Once you have created your jig, this is
faster than fiddling with pulling out the old shanks.

Alan

--Alan McCoy, RPT
Inland Northwest Chapter
Spokane, WA
ahm at webband.com

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of ed miller
Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2006 7:43 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: removing shanks from butts

List,

I am about to rebuild a set of hammer butts, and put in new shanks and
hammers. However, I can't get these pesky shanks out of the butts. I have
done everything I've learned..... breaking away the collar, soaking the
shank/butt joint with wallpaper remover, even applying some steam to help
loosen the glue (it is hot hide glue).

I've only tried it on shanks that have hammers already broken off. So I've
been using a shank clamp as the end point for the shank/butt remover to push
against. The clamp keeps sliding up the shank before the shank/butt joint
will break loose (and I've tightened it really hard, to the point where the
shank is pretty smooshed).

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,
Ed

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