My first bit of bad news

[Michelle Smith]

First of all, thanks SO much to all of you who responded on this topic.
I'll let you know how things go when I visit my client in a couple of weeks.


Last question, do you pre-drill the hole to avoid cracking the rib or just
"get after it" with the screw?

Michelle Smith
Bastrop, Texas


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Marcel Carey
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 11:23 AM
To: 'Pianotech List'
Subject: RE : My first bit of bad news

The one thing I don't like with the sheetrock screw, is the weakening of
the ribs. You have to drill 2 holes about 7/32" in each rib along the
crack. What I prefer to do nowdays is just use one small screw and a
piece of flat maple. I drill a very small hole in the rib right on the
crack and then srew my block from the front pushing that soundboard
against the rib. When this is not possible because of the plate being in
the way, I would use a screw right in the crack from behind, leaving a
lot of it protruding in the back, use medium CA glue between the board
and ribs and then just use plyers to pull on the screw toward the ribs
and wait a few seconds for the CA to set. I then remove the screw. This
way at least the ribs won't be weakened (never mind that old uprights'
boards are already flat).

Marcel Carey, RPT
Sherbrooke, QC