More on Tight pins

[Newton Hunt]

Hi Rob,

At what temperature does wood char or the fiber bonds begin to break
down?  I don't know but I can think of a couple of ways to find out. 
Ask a wood expert.  Take apiece of veneer, the soldering iron and get
an electronic pyrometer.  Heat one side of the veneer until it chars
and check the temperature from the other side.  

Take 40-60 degrees off that the heat the veneer again until you get
that reading and check the condition of the wood.

Get a small butane torch, available at Home Depot or similar stores,
then heat the pin from one side and check it's temperature from the
other side.  Carefully raise the temperature to your predetermined
amount in the same amount of time for each pin for consistency.

I would be surprised if the rate of expansion of mild steel exceeds
2%.  That is not enough to exceed the elastic limited of the wood
itself but you may drive away some moisture and singe away a few fiber
ends.

Care must be taken to prevent taking the temper out of the string
coils.  It would take only a couple of seconds of that amount of heat
to do so.

Don't be in a curry to deliver this piano.  Experimenting takes time.

		Newton