Regulating screw ZAPPER!

[BSimon1234@aol.com]

Ed Foote wrote:

<<Heat, and a fair amount of it.  You don't want to char the wood but 250-300
degrees on the screw will usually dry out  and shrink the wood around the
threads.   It is also advisable to turn the overly tight screws back and
forth, just a
little at a time, until there is increasing movement. >>

OH - OH - OH!     I forgot to mention, in regards to the heat treatment,
something I don't think I have ever seen discussed in this group. It is that
the gizmo made by Francis Mehaffey (hope he is still around) for freeing up
centerpins.  It works on regulating screws also!  For those who have not seen
it, Mr. MeHaffey's gadget is a transformer in a recipe box, with leads out to
two hack saw blades  ground to opposing points, such that when it is turned
on(plugged into house current) , and the points are put on either end of
center pins, a low voltage high amperage current flows through the pin, with
the resistance of the pin heating the pin. In a second or two a stuck
centerpin will free up beautifully well, ironing the felt bushing from inside
of the center, and instantly drying things out.  Leave it for a few seconds
more and  you have charred the felt and the wood the centerpin is held in.
You can even start a fire! 

The darn thing works, but is a bit hard to control. I bought mine from Francis
himself  15 or so years ago for $12.00 ?,  but they can be made by anyone with
a strong spirit of recklessness and contempt for OSHA and safety.

As for heating the regulating screws directly with a heat gun or a soldering
iron, I have found those methods to be slow an uneven. Especially a soldering
iron. Seems like there is no goo way to get a good contact from the tip of the
gun to the screw. Long time ago I tried cutting a slot in the tip, stuffing in
a tiny bit of bronze wool, then crimping the slot to keep it there, with the
idea that I might getbetter heat transfer from this pad of metal wool. Have
not used it is years, so must not have worked, don't remember. 

 I was thinking of a fluid treatment for the case in which every one of the
screws is rusted solid. Sometimes back and forth gentle pressure gets it, and
sometimes it twists the screw off.  This technique works more reliably with
the WD-40, but I was looking for an alternative to the WD-40.

Bill Simon
Phoenix