<HTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><HEAD> <META charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif">I don't do the type of production work that you do, but I've used toothpicks and Titebond (or Bolduc) glue.  No pounding, just dip and clip.  When dry, I cut them off with a sharp chisel.  Never had any problem drilling through the cap into anything that clogged or felt like empty space.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>David Love</DIV> <DIV><A href="mailto:davidlovepianos@earthlink.net">davidlovepianos@earthlink.net</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Erwinspiano@aol.com href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com"></A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To: </B><A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A></DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 2/7/2004 7:36:07 PM </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Shoe pegs or epoxy to fill bridge holes</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040>   <FONT size=4>List</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>    For years we have used shoe pegs to fill the remaining portion of the bridge pin holes after the caps are taken off in preparation for new caps. I had a good system using shoe pegs and the Bolduc wood glue to secure them. The glue doesn't gum up in  the bit as does most other glues I've tried & with this simple system I can usually drill a set of bridges painlessly in about an hour or so.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>    The problem is that no one in the shop enjoys pounding square pegs in round hole except my wife Trix & she's often to busy stringing etc.......  Also the pegs are getting hard to find in quantity. Any way I recently tried the West systems epoxy treatment squeezing it into the holes. Relatively quick & painless except for the guk/sticky factor.  Ater this I immediately glue on the caps also with epoxy.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>  After it cured for about 5 days I drilled for the new pin holes but the residual epoxy seems to powder up or alternately stick to the bit. I find this characteristic unacceptable.  Then every other hole or so I must run the bit thru some thin scrap spruce to clean the bit the drill again & over & over etc. Tedious useless activity.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>  I'd be interested in someone else's technique who has more experience with epoxy in this application. I like the idea of epoxies hardness and all that but I do a fair amount of bridge work & can't handle the aggravation. What am I missing?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=3 PTSIZE="12" FAMILY="SERIF">  Dale Erwin<BR>Erwins Piano Restorations<BR>4721 Parker Rd, Modesto, Ca. 95357<BR>erwinspiano@aol.com</FONT></DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>