[pianotech] Oversized tuning pins

[Rob McCall]

So, from my original post can I get a couple of second opinions as to the best way to deal with the current situation?

David,  says zap'em and smoke'em.  Marcel recommended  a drop of Protek  (CLP?) at the base of each pin.

As I'm still a newbie, I feel somewhat uncomfortable using a zapper.  I'm also not keen on attempting to use David Doremus' great idea of loosening the tension, remove the becket, back the pins out with a drill, becket back in, and re-set the pin.  I think it's a great idea, but I'm just not at that level yet.

So, I'm thinking the Protek might be my best bet in the short run.  Will this affect or negate other possibilities or options at a later date by using the Protek now?

It's not a high end piano (a 1957 Hensel 5' or so) and the owner wishes he'd kept the money he spent on the restringing and put it towards a new piano, so I doubt he's going to want to do something expensive. But it's practically un-tuneable the way it is, and he recognizes this.

Thanks,

Rob McCall
McCall Piano Service, LLC
Murrieta, CA

rob at mccallpiano.com
www.mccallpiano.com
951-698-1875



On Nov 27, 2009, at 18:55 , David Love wrote:

> 
> Those are the kinds of jobs I am moved to return to the person who did the
> ace restringing job.  Unfortunately, once a nightmare, always a nightmare.
> It won't likely loosen up and won't get much better, at least not in your
> lifetime.  If it were me, I wouldn't be encouraging them to tune it that
> often.  At least not if they are going to call me.  Maybe a zapper, but
> you'll have to explain the smoke.  
> 
> David Love
> www.davidlovepianos.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
> Of Rob McCall
> Sent: Friday, November 27, 2009 6:10 PM
> To: pianotech at ptg.org
> Subject: [pianotech] Oversized tuning pins
> 
> Greetings all,
> 
> I tuned a 1957 Hensel 5' Grand that had been restrung by someone else this
> past June.  My tuning was the first one since the restringing. No other work
> was performed besides new strings and tuning pins.
> 
> The pin block is still the old one but on the invoice the customer showed
> me, they had put in new oversized pins, although the size they used was not
> listed.
> 
> Tuning was, at least for me, a nightmare...!  I was gently pulling on the
> first tuning pin to get a feel for it, but it wouldn't budge. I gave it a
> short impact type pull and it jumped about 30 cents and made a high pitched
> ratcheting type noise that resonated through the piano. Luckily, it was
> about 40 cents flat to begin with!  It felt like it jumped in increments
> throughout a very short movement.
> 
> Every single tuning pin was extremely tight and would not move in small
> increments no matter how hard I tried. I finally figured out just the right
> amount of impact to get it to move close to where I wanted it, as they all
> needed about the same amount of movements, but small movements were
> impossible.  This ratcheting type feeling and loud sound was the same in
> both CW and CCW movement on every single pin, every single time it was
> moved.
> 
> At least it had 3 tight coils and the beckets were all lined up...  :-)
> 
> Needless to say, it wasn't my best tuning, but I explained (and
> demonstrated) to the client what was going on, and in the end, he seemed
> genuinely pleased with the end result.
> 
> My question...  Is there something that can be done to make the tuning pins
> move easier and smoother? Or does this just need lots of movement and time?
> Anything else I can do?  

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