Regulating screw ZAPPER!

[Greg Newell]

On Mon, 14 Sep 1998 01:29:20 EDT, BSimon1234@aol.com wrote:

>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
>
>
>
>
Bill, won't this also loosen the wood?
\			Greg N.
Greg and Mary Ellen Newell
Greg's Piano Forte`
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
gnewell@en.com