I'd like to share a technique which I have use twice on grand pianos and which has worked well. Both pianos had wooden plate bushings and I had poor results treating the blocks with CA glue. The pins were still not tight enough to allow a decent tuning. In each case, I removed the action and lid, turned the piano completely upside down (on a plastic drop cloth just in case) and treated the pins from the bottom side of the block. I filled the tuning pin hole up with as much CA glue as it would hold and I know that it was getting to the tuning pin this way. The next day, after setting the piano up again, the tuning pins held well enough to get a good tuning. A word of caution. You will be laying on the ground with you head in the keybed cavity and the effects of the CA glue fumes will be greatly concentrated, especially in your eyes. I used a fan blowing directly on the area I was treating, but it was still pretty bad. I think next time I will try those special glasses that are made to wear while chopping onions. A respirator would also be recommended. If you have poor results on the first treatment, you might like to try this as well. Let us know what your results are. After only two pianos, I'm not ready to pronounce it a proven technique. Jim Johnson
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC