On Topic: Bridge notching problem.

[harvey]

Hey, are you "our" Charlie, pride of the Pomona Valley, the one who, for
all practical purposes, disappeared between one meeting and the next?

For your bridge pins, I was going to suggest a puller device that I made
(in desperation) years ago. In the original kludge, I attached vice-grips
(Mod 5WR) to the opposite side of my home-made impact coil lifter. In my
case, it was a straight screw-on attachment, since the threading on the
impact lifter just happened to match the plier. This permitted me to
successfully remove a -seriously- heat-seized muffler liner from my
motorcycle. After this one-shot Saturday afternoon project, I realized the
potential in piano work, and just left the vise-grips attached to the coil
lifter. Since then, I've mentioned the device in many of my tools classes.

That said, I see where at least two people beat me to the mail box! Oh
well, I should mention that the "extraditor" has worked successfully on
[deep breath] key pins, backchecks, trapwork underlevers, stripped plate
lags that won't turn in or out (and still resist removal), and other
instances of press-fittings where normal methods either won't cut it, or
require too much tooling. Whew! There's every reason to believe it will
work in this application, although I've never had the need to try it for
bridge pins. Gulbransen and Winter pins can usually be plucked out with
fingertips.

Other thoughts:
(1) Considering the potential velocities involved, I'd suggest
over-tightening the plier jaws to the point of biting into the pins, thus
ending the useful life of same. Rationale: it's easier to install new pins
than to go fishing. AND...;
(2) Don't lose focus -- for every action, ...etc. This includes the
business end and the other end, especially if suggestion #1 is ignored.
Rationale: if the tool slips... big time pain, and in my case, big time
dentist bill. In some circles this chain of events is called a "rookie
move"; 8-<
(3) Consider a blanket over the unaffected string/board area, and ear
condoms for anyone within 500 yards. Rationale: noise abatement.
(4) Alternate methods may still be required if [make that when] the rim
gets in the way.

If you are the -real- Charlie, please E-mail me privately, and good luck!



At 07:40 PM 8/28/98 +0000, you wrote:
>Situation:
[cut]
>Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get these pins out without
>damaging the bridge top?  I have tried to pull them straight out, but do
>not have the strength.  And should I pry them out, won't I elongate, or
>deform the hole causing other problems?  Any and all suggestions
>appreciated.


Jim Harvey, RPT
harvey@greenwood.net