I have some followup questions on this subject. The subject interests me a lot, and I've been gathering information on it whenever I can. 1) I'm curious what the answer is to Roy's first question: "Can you replace a pin block in an old upright with completely tearing the back apart?" It sounds like people have suggested better alternatives, but I'm curious if it could be done. 2) In the method with the maple or pinblock material plugs, that requires taking the plate off, right? Otherwise I can't see how you'd get the plug in. Might be a silly question. 3) "Jolly Roger" responded as follows: "Andre Boldoc sells all the specialty tools and instructions for performing this task efficiently..." Is he talking about replacing the pinblock, or filling and re-drilling the holes? 4) Roy said that sometimes oversized pins don't work to his satisfaction. In those cases, what is the problem? Can that problem be determined ahead of time, or is it trial and error? 5) Regarding using oversized pins on an old upright: Is that just a way to get the job done in a reasonable and affordable way for the customer, or is it something you would do if money weren't an issue? The reason I ask is that I've heard various opinions on it. On the one hand, the pinblock on an old upright is well protected from the elements and therefore can last much longer than a grand pinblock. On the other hand, you can't really see the condition of the pinblock, and by using larger pins you might just be delaying or not dealing with a problem (like cracks). Can someone jump in and offer more opinions? Thanks, Charles Neuman PTG Assoc. Nassau County, NY
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