Hi Joe, comments below. On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 12:01 AM, Joe DeFazio <defaziomusic at verizon.net>wrote: > Hi William, > > Thank you for your replies. I have a few comments and questions, which I > have included below. > > *From: *William Monroe <bill at a440piano.net> > *Date: *January 20, 2010 5:14:46 PM EST > > 5. Apply DAG - judiciously. I try not to slop over the edges, into the > notches and such, but I'm not obsessive. > > > Am I the only one who worries about getting lubricant in the bridge pin > holes? If so, I'll have to quit worrying about it. OK, so I'll pretend to > quit worrying about it, plug the holes temporarily before applying lubricant > while no one is watching, and then pretend that I didn't.... > > Whatever works. I've not tried applying DAG with the old pins back in. I think it would be great to not get any DAG in the holes, but it seems like it would make the application of DAG more time consuming and challenging to get between the pins. > 7. Epoxy in new bridge pins with West System, then, while still wet, use > panty hose (I prefer knee-highs [image: Mail Attachment.gif]) in a shoe > shine method to remove excess epoxy and seal the notches, and the bridge > root. > > > This sounds like a great idea! I guess I'll have to swallow my pride and > go out and buy pantyhose. Maybe I'll wear sunglasses (have to buy those > first). I'm definitely not telling anyone that I shoe shine with pantyhose, > though. I'm just not that kind of guy. > > Does the DAG mix into and discolor the epoxy that seals the notches and > bridge root? I presume that you wipe/shoeshine towards the bridge top to > mitigate that, if it does.... > > No, that's the best part. It's always fun to go into the store and buy up their stock of size XXXL knee-highs. Funny looks? All part of my image as some sort of eccentric mystical magic worker....... Loose DAG, yes. That's why its important to vacuum out any loose debris from the applied DAG. Also, the shoe-shine process is a quick, gently process. If you rub away at the cap, you will eventually remove DAG. Also, different epoxies react differently. West System works, Epotek does not, e.g. 8. Level Bridge pins with a belt sander and high-quality belts - it makes a > huge difference. I used to use coarse grit belt, followed by a quick filing > to clean up, but now I level them with the coarse and clean them up with a > p220 belt. Coarse grit does a good job of not heating the pins up, so long > as you don't sit in one spot from start to finish. > > > I once got out the belt sander, plugged it in, and carried it to the piano > belly with the intention of leveling bridge pins, but I kept looking at that > beautiful, refinished inner rim, and I chickened out. It's a powerful > beast. I am heartened to know that you use it successfully (presumably with > no damage?). > Damage? What Damage? Really, the case looked like that when it arrived............... Just kidding. I really haven't had any problems using a belt sander. Protect the inner case sides as a precaution. Also, I should mention that when I'm resurfacing/repinning a bridge, the entire soundboard area is covered in a layer of cardboard. Keeps it protected from all manner of things. Also, I don't like metal shavings getting on the board. > *From: *William Monroe <bill at a440piano.net> > *Date: *January 20, 2010 5:34:47 PM EST > > I should add that if the bridge is getting nickel/stainless/whatever pins > that are rounded on top, I'll do any depth drilling that is needed as soon > as the old one are out. Then, when installing, I have two different punches > I use that Dana Mazzaglia (http://www.mazzagliatools.com/) made. I ground > the tip down on one a little and now I have two depth settings I use for > installing the pins. For copper pins, I just drive them in and then use the > sander, for nickel/whatever, I drive them with the punch, just short of > marking the top with the punch, then they are all even right away. > > > I will get the Mazzaglia bridge pin setting tool; thanks for the > recommendation. Have used the tri-punch, but somehow never noticed the pin > setter. > > For the nickel pins that you set to finished height, I will recycle a > question that I asked of David Love: > > "When you do this, how do you handle intersecting bridge pin holes (as can > happen along the most curved part of the bridge)? It makes sense to keep > the longer pins in the front (since it is the most important termination > area). If you shorten the back ones, how do you do it? Cutting them > deforms the cut end, which would be terrible for the integrity of the hole. > I suppose you could grind them...." > > How's that for green business? ; ) > > Thanks, > > Joe DeFazio > Pittsburgh > Yes, the Mazzaglia tools are great. I also use the pin punches he makes, and even had him make another custom set for me to cover even more spacing scenarios. Basically I doubled the size of the set and the number of choices I now have. Beautiful, functional tools. I honestly don't know that I've had to address this issue of overlapping holes in a bridge that I set at a finished height. I've mostly done coppered and filed. The most recent nickel was a 9' Henry F. Miller, and I either don't remember, or my partner did the pinning on this one. I suppose I'd favor the speaking edge pin being driven in fully, and probably grind the base of the other. I'm not too worried about the integrity of the pin hole, given the extensive epoxy treatment. William R. 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