<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: Archives trouble? and plate screws</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <BLOCKQUOTE><<As a friend of mine said, "Slicker than snot on a = doorknob".>> Make that a porceline door knob Jon, which is almost as slick as snot on a = wet log;) The toxicity of the plating kits I've used so far is minimal, certainly les= s than most of the solvents I use every day. I agree with your thinking abou= t the rim bolts (placing a washer under the head of the old bolts, or puttin= g a felt front rail punching up inside the socket will save the plate using = the old rim screws). And I've broken enough old block screws putting them in= to a new block to believe that there is technical merit to automatically usi= ng new screws with a new block. The jist of this thread is where do we draw = the line, in terms of dollars, hours, useful life, hassle, etc.? We all use = new tuning pins with new strings, as well as new plate felt (another good th= read), yet we can't replace everthing. I strongly believe in what I call reb= uilders prerogative, yet we have to live within the constraints of the job. = It's all very interesting and I appreciate all the thoughts so far. Richard Anderson From: Jon Page <jonpage@mediaone.net> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 20:42:02 -0500 To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: Archives trouble? and plate screws </BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE>The chemical toxicity I would not welcome. Especially where the= items are available for much less than the time it takes for you to fuss with them.<B= R> New S&S plated rim bolts are only $5@. It is not worth sanding, sprayin= g, nicking upon installation, touching up; for that money.  Plus the new = nickel looks so much better. Damage on the plate is reduced also by the flange on<= BR> the bottom of the hex head, no need to touch up the plate either. Tell Glorie I sent you. To touch on another thread, I replace all plate screws, having broken enoug= h old ones to have learned my lesson. Old screws in a new block are inconveni= ences waiting to happen. Sure, most will come out with an Easy-Out but it's the f= ew that require re-pulling (yet again) the plate and installing a pin-block-materia= l plug and redrilling. TIP:  For boring wood screws, use a tapered bit. For pin block screws I have a tapered bit for a #18 wood screw. Pardon me for that last illustration, but 'when the shoe fits';, Jon Page At 06:57 PM 01/10/2000 -0600, you wrote: >Yes I did replate them myself. I bought a couple kits from an outfit na= med >Casswell. One is nickel electroplating and the other is electroless nic= kel. >Each process has pros and cons, and setting up to do the plating, both = the >first time and each time later, is more difficult than doing the actual= >plating. I like being able to do it for a number of reasons, but like<B= R> >refinishing, if there were someone nearby who could do it to my satisfa= ction >in a timely manner I wouldn't mess with it. > >Richard Anderson > >> From: "David ilvedson" <ilvey@jps.net> >> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org >> Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 10:08:56 -0800 >> To: pianotech@ptg.org >> Subject: Re: Archives trouble? and plate screws >> >> Richard, >> >> You plated the screws yourself?  I did that at WIT when I was= >> in training but we went next door to the Band Instrument >> Repair facilities and used their plating equipment.  Are you<= BR> >> really set up to plate your own hardware? >> >> David I. >> >> Date sent:         Sun, 09= Jan 2000 20:30:17 -0600 >> Subject:          &nb= sp;Archives trouble? and plate screws >> From:           =    Richard Anderson <tknostf@foxvalley.net> >> To:           &n= bsp;    pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org> >> Send reply to:     pianotech@ptg.org >> >>> Has anybody had trouble accessing the archives lately? I wante= d to search >>> for a subject but my browser keeps crashing when I get to the = site. As long >>> as I'm here I'll ask about what I was looking for. After spend= ing most of a >>> day repairing and replating a set of plate and pinblock screws= only to have >>> one break on installation (last one in of course), I'm rethink= ing my policy >>> of reusing original plate screws on every rebuild. I know some= rebuilders >>> who always install new machine screws into a new (Delignit or = Falconwood) >>> block. And many use new machine bolts when rehanging plates. D= oes anyone >>> replace all plate (or case for that matter) fasteners as a mat= ter of course >>> on every piano? There is plenty to argue on both sides of this= issue, and >>> I'm never shy about arguing, so what do you say? >>> >>> Richard Anderson >>> >> >> >> David Ilvedson, RPT >> Pacifica, CA >> ilvey@jps.net >> > Jon Page,   piano technician Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. mailto:jonpage@mediaone.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </BLOCKQUOTE> </BODY> </HTML>