particle board

Tom Cole tcole@cruzio.com
Sat, 20 Sep 1997 21:10:48 -0700


Delwin D Fandrich wrote:
> 
> But perhaps its most significant limitation for pianobuilders is its
> dislike for conventional fasteners. Try using a common wood screw and
> youre fresh out of luck. It is not possible to use even a specially
> designed MDF screw in the stuff more than once or twice. This is the
> characteristic that probably offends most piano technicians and limits
> the stuffs usefulness in pianos. We need the ability to disassembly and
> reassemble the piano repeatedly during its lifetime. 
> .-

I agree that not being able to stand up to repeated fastening and
unfastening is a serious drawback. With the amazing amount of tooling
that Yamaha and Kawai have, I think it would be a simple matter to drill
and insert wooden plugs where screws are installed.

Lacking this, us field technicians could make a rubbing of screw hole
patterns (one edge of paper taped down to maintain registration) and
then holes similarly drilled and plugged (side grain maple cut with plug
cutter). Time-consuming, yes, but if you don't have time to do it right
the first time, how are you going to find time to do it right the second
time?

-- 
Thomas A. Cole RPT
Santa Cruz, CA



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