Restoring old uprights

[Mike and Jane Spalding]

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Roy,

Lee Valley Tools, www.leevalley.com, has a line of carbide tipped plug =
cutters that do a super job.  I have used their 3/8 cutter to make plugs =
for the bass section of a pinblock.  I'm not sure I would want to cut =
enough (228!!) to plug an entire pinblock.  You need a drill press, a =
hand drill will not allow you to control size and shape of the plugs.  =
Go back and re-read where the others advised you to use pinblock =
material, not solid maple, and to make a solid glue joint around all =
surfaces of the plug. =20
=20
As far as drilling for the pins, here's two ideas:
 - I have made a fixture for my drill press to clamp a plug and drill a =
.250 pilot hole for the pin.  The fixture ensures the pilot hole is in =
the center of the plug.  After the plug has been glued into the piano, I =
can hand drill for the pin, and be reasonable on-center.
 - Reblitz, in the section of his book on drilling pinblocks, has a =
sketch of a modified drill press sitting on a plank resting on the rim =
of a piano, for drilling the block in the piano.  I've never tried this, =
but it looks like it could work if you can re-configure your drill press =
to look like th picture.

A caution:  don't assume that 7 degrees is the only correct pin angle.  =
It can depend on the piano.  You want the angle the string makes with =
the the pin, to make the string tend to climb the pin ever so slightly, =
just enough to make sure your coil won't slip down.  I've done some as =
low as 4 degrees.  If you lay the pin back too far, you won't be able to =
keep your coils tight.  However, if you don't lay the pins back far =
enough, the string may climb over the coil, especially in 20 years after =
the pins loosen up and lean forward, and someone taps them in.

Good luck!

Mike


----- Original Message -----=20
  From: RCzekay@AOL.COM=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Monday, August 13, 2001 8:17 PM
  Subject: Re: Restoring old uprights


  Have been following all the tips on restringing old uprights that my =
original=20
  post a few days ago started.=20

  Thanks to all who have offered many tips. It seems to me that the best =
way to=20
  go would be to remove the plate, bore the old pin holes to 3/8 and =
plug with=20
  3/8 hard rock maple dowels, or pin block material after adding a spot =
of=20
  epoxy or white glue for assurance.=20

  My next question is, how does one bore the new pin holes at a 7 degree =
angle,=20
  which is SAP when boring a new grand plank? On a drill press it easy =
to do,=20
  but with an upright on its back using a hand drill that would seem to =
me to=20
  be almost impossible. Are there jigs to attach to a hand held drill =
that=20
  would facilitate this operation? Also is there a tool to make one's =
own maple=20
  or pin block material plugs? I'm 73 years old, and have not kept up =
with all=20
  the latest innovations in tools and technology, so please bear with =
me. One=20
  is never too old to learn!=20

  Thanks once again to all who have contributed to this discussion.=20

  Roy Czekay=20

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