Wood Specie Insert for Capstan

Farrell mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com
Mon Feb 25 08:29:30 MST 2008


I moved a capstan line on a set of key and had lousy results. I plugged the original holes with el-cheepo 2x4 spruce from the local home improvement store. The wood had super-wide grain and the material between winter wood was like styrofoam. When I pressed the capstans in place, many wandered because of the harder original wood and the new spruce on some completely collapsed - really weird - but the end result is a wandering capstan line - just won't do.

So, I'm in the process of routing a 3/4" wide section out of the capstan area (instead of plugging again) from each key to start fresh. I was thinking of gluing a piece of maple in there, but then I thought, well, maybe the maple would be too hard for pushing in a capstan and expecting appropriate capstan-turning torque - maybe just strip the threads off the darn thing. Maybe I should use something softer - poplar perhaps? Or maybe I should go with a wood more close in characteristics to the original wood (think it is sugar pine) - I don't have sugar pine, but I think I may be able to find a little piece of Sitka Spruce somewhere around the shop. 

Maybe a nice fine grained flat sawn piece of Sitka (I think that is where I am leaning)? Thoughts?

Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano

www.farrellpiano.com
terry at farrellpiano.com
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