[pianotech] square rubber grommets

[pianolover 88]

Yeah I have the schaff tool but it's only good for installing/adjusting *new* or undamaged grommets. It is totally useless for removing the nut once the dried out rubber breaks apart. Btw, the nuts are not metal, but made of fiber, so they are easily rounded off when trying to remove them with a tuning pin tip, although it seems to work on most of them. 

I also found that it is important to hold the sticker wire below the fiber nut, with a vice grips, to keep the wire from either unscrewing from below, or from breaking the elbows, especially when they're plastic! So for me, I'm just using the vice grips and then removing the fiber nut with a pliers. Once all are removed, then I should be able to install the new set with that schaff tool, and installing the new grommets will no doubt be faster than removing the old ones! 


Thanks all for the feedback!


Terry "UniGeezer" Peterson
"Over 50, and not '2' Tired!" 
www.unigeezer.com


Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:29:24 -0800
From: normancantrell at sbcglobal.net
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] square rubber grommets

Terry
If you are down to the square metal nuts inside the original grommets you can use a long tuning tip such as are sold for tuning the top section in a grand piano.  Tuning pins are square and so are those nuts.  The 1/2 to 5/8 diameter on the tuning tip gives your fingers something to grip while removing them.  Since this is a metal to metal interface you could place a small drop of  lubricant to break the threads before unscrewing them.  The tool that John described from the supply house will help in installing the new ones.
Norman Cantrell, RPT

--- On Mon, 2/27/12, pianolover 88 <pianolover88 at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: pianolover 88
 <pianolover88 at hotmail.com>
Subject: [pianotech] square rubber grommets
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Date: Monday, February 27, 2012, 10:37 AM





Client with an old Whitney Kimball spinet with those square rubber grommets that pop into the forked end of the keys. As soon as I played the piano I noticed that the keys made a clicking sound, and knew that it was caused from the grommets having become hard and "fused" to the forks. I happened to have a couple new ones with me, and explained what needed to be done. As I proceeded to pop one off, it shattered to pieces. I replaced it with a new one and the clicking was gone. So I'll be replacing the whole set. Luckily, the elbows are wood and not that old, yellowing and brittle plastic! 

So my question is, what would be the fastest most efficient way to remove and install the new grommets? I'm thinking a socket that fits that little square nut, which by the way, the old ones remain on the sticker wire after the old hard rubber breaks apart, and is almost rusted in place, making it hard to get off! So, once all the old grommets and nuts are
 removed, and the wires cleaned and lubed, would it easiest just to twist all the new ones on my hand, or use a screwdriver socket?

Cheers,

Terry "UniGeezer" Peterson
"Over 50, and not '2' Tired!" 
www.unigeezer.com
 		 	   		  
 		 	   		  
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