Stripped Flange Screw Repair

[Greg Newell]

Don Mannino wrote:
> 
> Hello!
> 
> Believe it or not, it is possible to repair an overturned screw hole in the
> aluminum rails. This is referring to rails which use sheet-metal type
> screws (large threads) as opposed to the fine threaded machine screws.
> 
> To repair the hole, remove the screw and the part from the rail. Use a
> small, fairly sharp tipped blade screwdriver (3 - 4mm wide) and a hammer to
> create a * around the hole. Place the screwdriver at 12:00, so that the
> blade is on the aluminum just above the hole, and give it a sharp rap with
> the hammer, making a line in the aluminum. Repeat at 1:30, 3:00, 4:30,
> 6:00, etc, until the hole is surrounded by little lines radiating out from
> the hole.
> 
> Replace the part and carefully start the screw in the hole, and tighten
> normally.
> 
> This only works well one time on a given hole, of course, so a second
> overturning will require an over sized screw or a new rail.  I remember one
> vertical piano where someone had bunged up the hole really good (and tried
> to get by with some generic wood screw in the hole - ARRGH!) , so I
> "swadged" it like this on the front and the back sides of the rail.  The
> (correct) flange screw could be really socked down tight afterwards, just
> like new.
> 
> Don Mannino RPT
> (from Orlando)



Sorry to repost the whole message but I just wasn't sure where to snip!

Don and list,
	My only concern would be that potentially the rail isn't really well
supported in the middle of a section and secondly that giving it 5 good
raps might deflect the rail from straight and flat. Otherwise I'm sure
this will work as I've used it many times in non piano applications.
				Best 
					Greg Newell