pianotech-digest V2000 #984

[David Ilvedson]

What is this?  A piano question?  ;-]

I'd try Protek.  It won't hurt anything.  If you can get at the broken
screws...prop up the rail and tap them out with a thin punch. CA in a shim
if needed and install new ones.

David I.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf
> Of Dave Nereson
> Sent: Sunday, November 12, 2000 8:55 AM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: pianotech-digest V2000 #984
>
>
> Does anyone know how to loosen up "frozen" (seized-up) regulating
> screws --
> in this case, let-off screws.  This is in a Baldwin studio, only 20 years
> old or so.  I tried turning them carefully and the eyelets would
> break off.
> So I had to take off the button, grab the other end of the screw with a
> vise-grips and turn out the remainder of the screw.  But in some
> cases, that
> would break off also, leaving only that portion of the screw that's in the
> wood, and nothing left to grab.  So I tried heating them all with a torch,
> thinking the expanding metal would also expand the hole in the wood, then
> when they cooled, they might turn easier, but no dice.  They still break
> off.  And they're not even rusty.  I hate to put any type of oil or liquid
> lube, thinking that would expand the wood cells, making the let-off screws
> even tighter.  How to get the remainder of the screw out of the wood?  (I
> can do it by carving away enough wood to let me grab some screw with the
> visegrips, but hate to butcher the rail).  Can ya buy a new let-off rail
> from Baldwin (it's the common studio model that's in many many schools)?
>
>