[pianotech] open letter to CA users..???

Dean May deanmay at pianorebuilders.com
Mon Feb 13 05:55:09 MST 2012


>>Is there a limit on just how loose a pin can be and still accept a CA
treatment?

 

The only limits I've seen are on one old upright with a severely damaged pin
block. In the situation you've described, i.e., a block good enough to
respond to oversize pins, I've never had CA not work, even on pins as loose
as you are describing. 

 

Usually, all you need is enough CA to do a good soak on the bushing. I
normally only do 2 passes. If you know where the problem areas are and they
are pretty bad, go ahead and give those sections 3 passes. The CA needs a
little time to set up, especially if the pin has taken a fair amount of
glue. So don't panic if it doesn't tighten up instantly, just tune the rest
of the piano and it should be tight by the time you are done. 

 

On a normal CA application now I use about 1.5 oz. I buy it in the big 8 oz
bottle and use bulb syringe applicators. 

 



 

For a particularly problematic pin, twist the pin back and forth while you
apply CA to the base. This will allow more glue to penetrate deeper. 

 

Worst case, you can also pull the pin out and squirt a little down in the
hole, coating the sides. You don't need to over do it. You could even put an
oversize pin in there while you have the original out if you feel you need
the insurance. Personally, I cannot fathom the need to do all the pins in
oversize when CA works so well. I have not put in a set of oversize pins in
more than 10 years. 

 

For a grand, of course, pull the action first and line the keybed with
newspaper. For a vertical, you can lay it down until you get a little more
experience with it. But I’ve done them vertically for the last 5 years or
so. It just takes a little extra care but saves hugely on time and drama. 

 

 

Dean

 

Dean W May (812) 235-5272 voice and text

 

PianoRebuilders.com (888) DEAN-MAY

 

Terre Haute IN 47802

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Rob McCall
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 1:16 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] open letter to CA users..???

 

The client had the budget for a repinning but not a restringing. All the
pins are out now.  About 75% of them came out okay with minimal effort. The
other 25% ended up getting cut close to the becket as possible, and then
recoiled with a new becket.  The pinblock seemed in good shape. I checked
the pinblock as thoroughly as possible and I didn't see any apparent issues
with it. 

 

It's in a 1983 Sherman Clay SDG2.  The new pins are going in today and they
are holding nicely. The bass section is pretty much done and all new pins
are tight in the pinblock. It just took a lot longer than I was expecting to
get the old pins out.

 

I didn't realize there was a previous CA treatment until I started backing
out the pins, and I do have a nice drill to do that, at least...  :-)

 

I don't know that more CA would've worked.  Most of the bass section wasn't
just loose -- the tuning pin would not hold even the slightest tuning. It
took about 60° of turn to bring it to pitch, and then when you let go it
would unwind right back to where it started. It seemed way too loose for me
for CA, but then my experience is limited on the edge of the envelope stuff
for CA. Is there a limit on just how loose a pin can be and still accept a
CA treatment?

 

Regards,

 

Rob McCall

 

McCall Piano Service, LLC

www.mccallpiano.com

Murrieta, CA

951-698-1875

 

On Feb 12, 2012, at 22:01 , Ron Nossaman wrote:

 

> On 2/12/2012 11:50 PM, Joseph Garrett wrote:

>> Why bother? The whole idea is to get rid of the tuning pins and the

>> wire, is it not. Who cares if the wire is locked into/onto the tuning

>> pins? The whole mess will wind up in the circular file anyway. Right?

>> Joe

>> 

>>    ----- Original Message -----

>>    *From:* John Ross <mailto:jrpiano at eastlink.ca>

>>    *To: *joegarrett at earthlink.net

>>    <mailto:joegarrett at earthlink.net>;pianotech at ptg.org

>>    <mailto:pianotech at ptg.org>

>>    *Sent:* 2/12/2012 9:47:46 PM

>>    *Subject:* Re: [pianotech] open letter to CA users..???

>> 

>>    I would try a becket breaker.

>>    John Ross

>>    Windsor, Nova Scotia

> 

> 

> Uh, fellas, didn't he say he was repinning, not restringing?

> 

> And Rob, why didn't the CA work where an oversize pin will? Is the block
intact enough for that? Will a better application of CA to what's there do
it and bypass the problem of getting the coils off altogether?

> Ron N

> 

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