<HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2719.2200" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>Kevin,</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left>We are talking about removing the tuning pin and putting in a shim of sandpaper, leather or whatever...CA swabbed into the empty tuning pin hole is not too difficult...</DIV> <DIV align=left> </DIV> <DIV align=left>David I.</DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original message ----------------------------------------><BR>From: "Kevin E. Ramsey" <<A href="mailto:ramsey@extremezone.com">ramsey@extremezone.com</A>><BR>To: "Alan R. Barnard" <<A href="mailto:mathstar@salemnet.com">mathstar@salemnet.com</A>>, Pianotech <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>><BR>Received: Wed, 2 Oct 2002 18:56:27 -0700<BR>Subject: Re: Old Timers Please Vote was Loose Tuning Pins Solution</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>Alan, I don't consider myself much of an "Old-timer" since I'm still under 55, but I've had great success with sandpaper. It must be cloth backed, though. I'll use 60 or 80 grit, doesn't seem to matter much, because the grit faces outward anyway. When I first got into tuning, I bought an old junker huge upright that was basically shot, had to shim a lot of pins. I tuned that old wreck three four times a day for a year and a half to two years. The cloth backed sandpaper worked like a charm, felt as good as a decent pinblock, and didn't wear out. That's probably more tunings than a regular piano would get in fifty years. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    I wouldn't try to use this method on a piano that has every pin loose, but for the few, it's been great. If a piano has bushings, and most do, I don't see how CA glue can get to the block.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    Kevin E. Ramsey</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">I have had excellent results with the old #80 or #60 sandpaper shims. And<BR>haven't noticed any jumping  or other naughty behavior on the part of the<BR>shimmed pins.<BR><BR>What advantages do you see in using the leather?<BR><BR>How about leather vs. sandpaper vs. veneer strips?<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>