Tom Cole wrote: > Patrick Greene wrote: > > > > Hello Ya'll, > > > > I have a customer who wants an old beat up upright that has "great > > sentimental value" to be rebuilt. I am guessing that this would cost over > > a thousand dollars just to put in a new pinblock and restring. Am I > > guessing correctly? > > > > Patrcik > > > > You have several options with regards to the pinblock really. Depending on how bad its condition, and how fond of the instrument the owner really is. Full replacement is diffucult and expensive, a mercedes solution. Routing and boring is easier and if done well its a solid repair. I have seen only one such job and the job was mucked up big time. The fellow who did the job was not an experienced wood worker. Then there are the easy approachs which a lot of techs look down upon, but can be functional for some years. These involve using some kind of epoxy resin. I have tried this and dont really like the feel of the tuning pins afterwards, tho they are tight. You fill the tuning pins holes to the brim (all of them) with a slow drying thin epoxy. Wait a week and re-bore the holes out. You have to make sure and use a bore size that matches the pin hole size as exactly as possible because you need to remove all the epoxy from the inside surface of the hole. Otherwise the pins feel really really goo-y and the job wont last long. I have no idea about the longevity of a well done job here. But I do know of several techs who swear by it. The pin block must be in reasonably good shape tho. Be warned tho. The use of epoxy in this context is potentially a hotly debatable process. But if the owner refuses to pay much, but insists on some workable solution, and you want to do the job, then this is one option. Richard Brekne
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