<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>Re: grand hinge to rim screws stripped</title></head><body> <div>[ Two pictures included ]</div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <div>At 19:44 -0400 3/9/08, Jessica Masse wrote:</div> <div><br></div> <blockquote type="cite" cite>Besides drilling and plugging the rim, does anyone have a better way of repairing the hinge screws on a grand piano?  This piano is moved several times a year and the rim is less than 3/4 inch thick. </blockquote> <div><br></div> <div>Here's how I always do it.  It might take 30 or 40 minutes but then the job is properly done and stronger than what was there originally.  Stuffing things in the holes is just a way of delaying doing a proper job.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Line 1 shows a typical hinge rebate in a 19 mm rim.</div> <div><br></div> <div>If the rim has split, protect the surfaces and clamp it together before going ahead.  Leave on the clamp until everything is done and the glue has hardened.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Line 2 :  Plug the screw holes and trim the plugs flush.  The purpose of the plugging is to avoid interference from the screw holes when you come to drill out.  Mark points with an awl to centre the drill exactly in the middle of the rim, which is usually not where the screw line is.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Line 3 : Using a 12 mm. Forstner bit or similar (see illustration below) drill a line of 3 holes vertically to a depth slightly deeper than the length of the screws you will use.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Lines 3, 4 :  Using very sharp paring chisels, remove wood to create a mortice.</div> <div><br></div> <div>Line 5 :  Cut a piece of beech or rock maple to fit closely into the mortise. Apply epoxy enough to fill any gaps.  Press or hammer the piece into the mortise.</div> <div><br></div> <div>When the epoxy has set trim the plug to the original level, colour the repair and mark centres for the screws using the hinge as a pattern.  Drill for the screws using the appropriate drill for a very tight fit.  Lubricate the screws with a mixture of beeswax and tallow before turning them in.</div> <div><br></div> <div>This repair is as good as new and probably better, since the screws are now turned into solid wood of the densest and most suitable kind to hold them.</div> <div><br></div> <div>JD</div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <div align="center"><img src="cid:p06240804c4e728f6e5ee@[10.0.0.1].1.0"></div> <div align="center"><img src="cid:p06240804c4e728f6e5ee@[10.0.0.1].1.1"></div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <div><br></div> <x-sigsep><pre>-- </pre></x-sigsep> <div >____________________________________________________________________<span ></span>__<br>   Delacour Pianos  *  Silo  *  Deverel Farm  *  Milborne St. Andrew<br>            <span ></span>          Dorset DT11 0HX  *  England<br>            <span ></span>            Phone:  +44 1202 731031<br>          Mobile: +44 7801 310 689   *   Fax: +44 870 705 3241 ______________________________________________________________________</div > </body> </html>