Corkless bridle straps

[Vanderhoofven]

Dear Patrick,

I must confess that I have never used clip-on bridle straps.  They would
probably work all right, I just don't like the looks of them.  As far as
using tacks to attach bridle straps, you run a big risk of splitting out
the catcher shank at the place where the tack is inserted.

If you look closely, I think that you will find that the bridle straps and
catcher shanks were originally glued in at the same time into the same hole
in the hammer butt.  If you have any bridle straps that are still intact,
you can find the appropriate length of replacement strap to use.  Use the
sample and cut all of the remaining bridle straps to the same length.  Take
a sharp X-acto knife and cut the old bridle straps off flush with the
hammer butt.  Then take some wood glue (like Titebond II) and put a spot of
glue on the bridle strap at the end.  Then use some high tech tools (your
fingers) and push the spot of glue up against the underside of the catcher
shank at the place that it is inserted into the hammer butt.  Press the
bridle strap with your fingers to get good contact for the glue to hold.
Do the same procedure 87 more times.  Let the glue dry for an hour or two,
and then hook up all of the bridle straps and you are done, except for
adjusting the bridle straps after the action is back in the piano.

I learned this from Randy Potter.  Good luck!

Sincerely,
David Vanderhoofven

At 08:58 AM 4/27/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Dear list:
>I'm about to replace a set of bridle straps on an action whose catchers
>don't have those convenient holes where one usually can fit the little cork
>"barrels". I recall Jim Harvey taught a very efficient technique, in which
>he drilled a hole below the catcher dowel, where he inserted the strap.
>Does anyone have the procedure (drill size etc) that they could post, or
>did he write it up in the PTJournal? I don't have a recent index with me --
>did this get covered in the "Behold the Upright" series too (whatever
>happened to the CD-Rom of PTJ articles?!)?
>I never bought the tool which supply houses sell for attaching corkless
>straps with tacks, and I think the straps with brass spring clips are a bit
>too "Mickey Mouse" for doing a whole set.
>Thanks
>Patrick Draine