[CAUT] steinway agraffs

[Mark Cramer]

This should go fairly well James. Hardware stores sell extractors that 
are like a 3 or 4 sided awl. You drill a hole in the center of the 
broken agraffe, drive the pointed extractor in, then fit a small wrench 
(or whatever the extractor requires)  on it and carefully rotate the 
agraffe out. First sand the broken agraffe flat (brass clogs files) 
enough to drill, and use a punch to locate the hole precisely in center.

BTW, make sure you have the right replacement agraffe. Steinway has two 
thread/shank sizes, even so, not all supply house agraffes will end up 
with the strings at the original height.

Also, consider re-using the string, especially if it's a wound-string. 
It takes a bit of work to elongate a coil and thread it back through an 
agraffe hole, but in the right circumstance is worth doing.

best regards,
Mark Cramer,
Brandon University

PS I've been fortunate to hire a number of amazing assistants over the 
years... all of them smarter than me, or what why bother? About five 
years ago J----y R. tells me he's tried to remove 6 agraffes in a row, 
and they're all very tight, and he's scared he's going to break one. "Oh 
$%^!... one just broke!"

So, I calmly inspect the situation, place the tool and ratchet handle on 
the next candidate, and start applying pressure. Sure enough, it feels 
very strange, it doesn't want to budge, and if anything is moving at 
all, it sure as heck isn't the...  "Oh $%^!"

I'm not sure who discovered first that the ratchet was set for 
tightening, not loosening, but it was likely J, because I only hire 
assistants who are smarter than me... or why bother?  ;>)




On 17/06/2010 11:46 AM, James Schmitt wrote:
> Hi all-
>    I am needing to do a job I have only done one other time before. I 
> need to replace of broken agraff.  If i am right, replacing a broken 
> agraff is simple IF, IF, IF, everything comes out right.  Otherwise 
> this job gets very complicated very fast.  Some one told me about one 
> of the journal articles that refereed to the use of an engraving tool 
> that removed much of the possible complication with this job.  what 
> kind of insight can you give me on this project.
> James Schmitt
> Marylhurst University
>