<!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 6.00.6000.16608" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>Terry,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>If you decide to replace wood, I'd probably opt for something like poplar.  I've used it for balance hole repairs and really like it.  I don't know how it rates next to sugar pine for expansion/contraction due to moisture, but I'd bet it's close.  Poplar seems to resist widening/enlarging at the BR hole well, and because of that, I think it would be appropriate for your repair (still allowing you to press in capstans).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>FWIW,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=2>William R. Monroe</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>SNIP</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>So, I'm in the process of routing a 3/4" wide section out of the capstan area (instead of plugging again) from each key to start fresh. I was thinking of gluing a piece of maple in there, but then I thought, well, maybe the maple would be too hard for pushing in a capstan and expecting appropriate capstan-turning torque - maybe just strip the threads off the darn thing. Maybe I should use something softer - poplar perhaps? Or maybe I should go with a wood more close in characteristics to the original wood (think it is sugar pine) - I don't have sugar pine, but I think I may be able to find a little piece of Sitka Spruce somewhere around the shop. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Maybe a nice fine grained flat sawn piece of Sitka (I think that is where I am leaning)? Thoughts?</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=3></DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell<BR>Farrell Piano</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><A href="http://www.farrellpiano.com">www.farrellpiano.com</A><BR><A href="mailto:terry@farrellpiano.com">terry@farrellpiano.com</A></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>