In a message dated 5/4/98 9:14:32 AM Central Daylight Time, skline@proaxis.com
writes:
<< 8. Davcon's [sic] Five-Minute Epoxy: To tighten loose tuning pins. (We
haven't tried this idea yet, but Steve Fairchild swears that it works.
Remove the pin from the hole, taking care not to break the becket or bend
of the wire where it goes into the tuning pin. Clean out the hole in the
pinblock with an alcohol-soaked rag in case any pin tinghtener has been
used. Mix the epoxy an smear the inside of the hole iwth it, also putting
some on the lower quarter of the tuning pin. Replace the pin in the hole,
put the wire back on, and tune immediately. No matter how wild the idea
sounds, Steve claims it is like a miracle and the pin continues to move as
if it were in a new pinblock. Be sure to use only the Five-Minute Epoxy.) >>
I can confirm that this works very well indeed. I used to do it that way for
years. I too, was amazed that the tuning pin, although initially "stuck",
felt like it had been driven into new material once the bond was broken.
These days however, you can get the very same results a little easier by
simply using CA glue in medium or thick viscosity. You won't need to mix
anything. Not to contradict anyone else on this, I don't really bother
cleaning out the hole. I just remove the pin as stated above, open the
bottle, squirt a little glue in the hole (no spreading required), dab a little
on the bottom portion of the pin, partially redrive the pin, hook in the
becket and lift the coil, tighten the wire.
At this point, the pin will still feel a little loose. After a few more
minutes, you will feel that it's torque has firmed up enough for you to put
the proper amount of tension on the string and drive the pin further to the
desired depth, check becket closure and coil seating and tune to pitch.
Anytime you have had the string entirely loose, you will have a little
instability. So, tune a few beats sharp the first time you are ready to get
the string up to pitch and check it a few more times during your tuning
process. Each time you check it, you should experience a firmer feel to it
until the glue has cured, which won't take long. (30 minutes). The fact that
you keep breaking the bond keeps the pin from getting "stuck" and creating a
jumpy feel afterwards. I don't recommend using the accelerator with this
process because it will actually cause the glue to cure too quickly for you to
be able to work with it.
CA glues seem to "love" organic materials such as the deteriorated wood of
the faulty pinblock, the original adhesives and any rust on the pin. These
things along with the pressure from the pin and turning it will spread the
glue to where it is needed and cause it to cure rapidly. I have always been
amazed at how well this works and have never had a problem with a repair done
either this way or with the old epoxy method.
Incidentally, for the question about stripped plate screws, the same
medium or thick CA glue will work here too. While plugging and redrilling are
fine, I have repaired many plate screws this way, have never had a problem
afterwards and they can still be tightened or removed normally. Just as with
the tuning pin, the screw is initially "stuck" but after the bond is broken,
the screw functions as if it were in brand new material.
Bill Bremmer, RPT
Madison, Wisconsin
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