Plugging and redrilling an action rail

[John Delacour]

At 15:33 -0500 29/1/08, Farrell wrote:

>That was my first thought. Rout out a 5 - 10 millimeter wide trough 
>as deep (or nearly so) as the original screw holes and epoxy in a 
>strip of hard maple. After epoxy is cured, rout or plane flush (or 
>to original shape). Then you start with a clean slate. I'll be doing 
>that very thing to the front rail of a keyframe in my shop this 
>afternoon.

Yes, that had crossed my mind.  The idea will be more appealing once 
I've taken the plunge and taken off all the accoutrements, which I'll 
need to do in any case to guide it under the drill.


At 15:54 -0500 29/1/08, AlliedPianoCraft wrote:

>JD, I always saveÊthe sanding dust from my sanding machines. Very 
>fine. I add that to a good epoxy. It will fill holes and machines 
>very well.

Yes I've used that for cabinet work, but dust has no tenacity. For 
screw holding leather soaked in epoxy is a better option, I think.

I need to experiment a bit and decide which option to go for.  Thanks 
you all for your suggestions.

I enjoy this sort of problem because it requires the same amount of 
design and planning as starting from scratch.  Another project I've 
begun to give some though to is fitting underdampers to an 
over-damper action, in fact two of them.  There are some amusing 
pitfalls once you begin to look in detail at the problem.

JD