On 11/23/2012 7:37 AM, Mike Kurta wrote: > If you want a "cheap and dirty" repair try this: Carefully unwind > the copper wrapping from a new or used heavy bass string so you wind up > with what looks like a long spring. Try to preserve the winding as > small as possible. Cut to the length of the bolt hole and insert. Use > as many as necessary. Insert the bolt and tighten. You may have to > repeat the process by adding more lengths of copper. It will conform > itself to the hole when tightening the bolt. > If you are familiar with Heli-Coil® inserts, this works the same > way. By creating new metal threads within the wood it will be a > permanent repair and removing and replacing the bolt in the future will > not be a problem. The copper imbeds itself into the stripped hole. > How does it hold? On the ones I've done, I couldn't tighten the > bolt any further, it really holds. This works on legs also. Try it, > you'll like it..... Please please please, don't do this. I've found this in a lot of pianos through the years, as it used to be a common repair attempt. It is not permanent, does not work if the screw is taken out even once in a great while, and leaves the next guy a bigger chewed up hole to deal with. For a Q&D fix, strips of heavy leather - and GLUE - are a far better more functional and less destructive alternative, which drills out nicely when it comes time to fix it right. >Of course the best repair is the Tee-Nut process > using machine bolts. You betcha, if the top or back side is reachable for installation. Ron N
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