Plate bolts/screws

[Ron Nossaman]

> The other day I serviced a Kawai 1996 KU30 and before tuning I checked 
> the plate screws. I found three of them loose, so loose that they kept 
> on turning.
> My questions are why would they be like this and is there any way to 
> repair them. From experience I can feel that they are not broken but are 
> stripped in the wood.
>  
> Jack Houweling

Hi Jack,
They're like that because someone screwed up. <G> It's not an 
awfully critical thing, so I'd probably do the quick and dirty 
fix. Pull one screw at a time, and insert a leather strip or 
two with plenty of Titebond into the hole, then drive the 
screw back in. If you haven't done this, it's surprising how 
"realistic" the feel is as the screw bites in and tightens 
right down like it was in good wood. It'll probably only last 
50 years or so, so be prepared to do it again if you live long 
enough.
Ron N