<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16587" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>JD, I always save the sanding dust from my sanding
machines. Very fine. I add that to a good epoxy. It will fill holes and machines
very well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Al G</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT face=Arial>Allied PianoCraft<BR>PO Box 1549<BR>High Point, NC
27261<BR>(336) 454-2000<BR></FONT><A
href="mailto:PianoTech@alliedpianocraft.com"><FONT
face=Arial>PianoTech@alliedpianocraft.com</FONT></A><BR><A
href="http://www.alliedpianocraft.com"><FONT
face=Arial>www.alliedpianocraft.com</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>From: "John Delacour" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:JD@Pianomaker.co.uk"><FONT
face=Arial>JD@Pianomaker.co.uk</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>To: "Pianotech List" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><FONT
face=Arial>pianotech@ptg.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 1:10 PM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Subject: Plugging and redrilling an action
rail</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial>> <BR>> I'm
preparing in my mind a job that needs to be done and which I <BR>> haven't
done before.<BR>> <BR>> The problem is with an otherwise quite nice
overstrung by Wilhelm <BR>> Spaethe of Gera that will sound good and look
good and is therefore <BR>> worth restoring and will fetch a good
price.<BR>> <BR>> How the mistake was originally made I can't imagine, but
the position <BR>> of the hammer flange screw on the first plain steel note
is about <BR>> 10mm to the left of where is should be and the error reduces
<BR>> gradually until about note 55, when things are just about
right.<BR>> <BR>> The original finisher got over this difficulty by first
sticking the <BR>> shanks in the butts at a considerable angle and then
twisting the <BR>> hammer-head to negate the remaining error. I have
bored out the <BR>> butts and got a good set of Wurzen AA hammers from Abel,
and shanks, <BR>> and they will sound very good. I now have the option
of either <BR>> getting a new rail bored correctly from Renner, but almost
certainly <BR>> with the wrong flange profile and all sorts of other
problems, or <BR>> plugging and redrilling the existing rail where it is
unacceptable. <BR>> As to the keys, I'll work out that problem before diving
in.<BR>> <BR>> There will be no problem redrilling at the tenor end
because the new <BR>> holes will not interfere with the old ones, but for 15
or 20 notes -- <BR>> say 50 holes -- I shall need to be drilling close to or
overlapping <BR>> the old plugged hole. I've thought of leather and
epoxy for plugging <BR>> the holes, but I'd be interested to hear other ideas
from people who <BR>> have done the job before. Is there some magic
plugging solution that <BR>> will produce a durable result and be as good as
it should have been <BR>> when new?<BR>> <BR>> JD<BR>> <BR>>
<BR>> <BR>></FONT></BODY></HTML>