caut-digest V2002 #37

[Dave Nereson]

> Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 16:45:01 -0500
> From: Paul Kupelian <kupelian@Oswego.EDU>
> Subject: Re: buffing aggraffes?
>
> Hi Mark,
> I am a firm believer in keeping the original agraffes.  To that end I have
> developed a procedure which is both fast and easy.  First of all, you need
> a one inch belt sander with a buffing belt (Delta makes both), and one of
> the agraffe reamers that Pianotek sells.    Then I have fashioned and
> agraffe holder to put the threaded portion of the agraffe in.  It is piece
> of oak about two inches long by an inch wide and a half inch thick.  I
> taper one end down (the end the agraffe screws into) on a sander so it
> looks like a hugh carpenters pencil.  I drill a hole in the tapered end
> long enough to screw the agraffe into. I dress the buffing belt with
> jewelers rouge, I guess that is the same as tripoli.
>
> All of the agraffes are kept in order.  This is important.  I take a piece
> of piano wire and knot one end and as i remove the agraffes I string them
> on the wire.
> I have another piece of wire to put them on when I polish them.
>
> One side benefit of using this method is that the brass is reanealed due
to
> the heat generated from the buffing.  Also the holder keeps you from
> burning your fingers.  Be sure to wear a mask to keep the rouge dust out
of
> your system.


    I've heard that old brass needs to be heated to 700 degrees F. in order
to restore its integrity.  I've always understood annealing to be the
softening of, or removing temper from, a metal so that it can be worked.
Then, any temper required is put back in by reheating to a specific
temperature -- with steel, anyhow -- I don't know about brass.  Does the
belt sander really get it hot enough to ensure it won't crack in the future?
        --David Nereson, RPT, Denver