Steinway Rail Dowels

[Carl Meyer]

It may be tacky of me to say this, but I've been a long time supporter of
the hi tack industry.  The Katzenjammer kids were probably in my ancestor
line.  The glue they used to put on the captains chair had to be the
forerunner of crazy glue.  When Hans and Fritz were mountain climbing with
Ma, and Ma fell off the mountain:  Fritz said "Look! Hans, no Ma".

I'm always amazed at how many  traditionalists rave about the superior
qualities of wool, wood etc.  They don't realize that they are cheap and
were the only materials available at that point in time.  And we have
learned how to deal with them.

FEBI. (for everybody's information.) there is a company called Loctite.  It
makes a line of products called Loctite that is an anaerobic material
(hardens in the absence of air and the presence of metal ions) .  It is used
in many applications as a thread locker, shaft bonding etc.  It comes in
wicking formulation, permanent locking and even service removable.  I worked
for a company that didn't ever use lock washers, but instead used the
service removable formula on each screw.

I think the original product we think of as crazy glue was Eastman 910.  It
was used to attach strain gauges to  products under testing and was not
permanent and would let go after several weeks.  Then Loctite 404 was a
similar product.  Loctite makes several special types of "crazy glue" for
certain applications such as attaching rubber to steel.

Now as to the strength of epoxy, let me tell you about another product of
Loctite.  It's called Form-A-Thread.  It comes in a kit and is designed for
rapid restoration of stripped threads in steel under factory conditions.  A
stripped thread or a worn bearing can shut a factory down until a new part
can be ordered and installed.  If it works for steel I submit it is strong
enough to repair wood, even if it is hard rock maple grown on the shady side
of the mountain, and cured in moonshine during the dark of the moon.  For
wood, I would think that just about any epoxy and mold release would be
strong enough.  I wouldn't bother with a special expensive product like
form-a-thread.

Now, for the problem at hand.  I've never had to do this to a highly
overdesigned, convoluted, weird thang like the Steinway rail,  don't plan to
in the future and would probably  refer the work to a tech that I don't like
very much  (who is a "Steinway specialist and charges too much")  Mind you,
I don't have anybody specific in mind, just spouting off.

If I came eyeball to eyeball with one of these, and had to do the job I
would probably follow this procedure.  Most of the ideas thus far would
work, this is just my take on it.

Assume a Steinway upright.  Whippen rail stripped.  I'd put the action in a
cradle, the rail facing up, remove all the whippen screws, spray with some
kind of mold release, fold the flanges up out of the way, put a specific
amount of epoxy mixed with fine sawdust or equivalent in each hole, (I'd use
a thin epoxy that has a long pot life and a slow cure time), then reinstall
the screws thru the flanges and snug up (remember that they are stripped),
Epoxy mixture should flow and not be sufficient to glue the flange to the
rail.  Let it cure overnight and then remove the screws.  Now you have two
options.  You could drill with a small drill in a  cordless drill thru the
middle of the hole or you could put a thin washer under the screw.  This
will compensate for the looseness of the screw and allow the screw to get a
good bite into the epoxy.

Should last for a hundred years.  That is, if epoxy doesn't self destruct
before then.  We don't really know, do we?

Oh well, I ain't gonna worry about it.  I got enough worries now.

You guys stay loose.

Carl Meyer  Assoc. PTG
Santa Clara, California







----- Original Message -----
From: "Newton Hunt" <nhunt@optonline.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2001 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: Steinway Rail Dowels


> >  I was reluctant to use it to plug screw
> > holes, however. I am not sure it the epoxy is strong enough to accept a
> > screw. Have you done this successfully?
>
> Yes, those big lyre screws.  Works great.
>
> Newton
>