Jim Harvey, harvey@greenwood.net writes: << I came up with a method I came up with a method that focused on efficiently replacing plastic elbows with new wooden elbows, new wire and buttons....My procedure is not "plug and play"...it incorporates ..sizing the pinning on the new elbows for consistency of function and touch weight. ...This procedure is a shop job, but only because it's more efficient and comfortable that way. >> Although I do not use wood elbows, a fine repair, I have found it useful to "prepare" new sets of Vagias elbows for use, in the shop ahead of time. The amount of felt sticking out each side of the bird's eye, and sticking out the slot varies a lot throughout a set of elbows. I take a new elbow, stick a round toothpick into the bird's eye, and with a single edged razor blade cut around the toothpick on both sides, cutting the excess felt off the sides. This gives a better result than just trying to cut with the razor blade across the surface of the empty eye. Leaving the toothpick in place, I then run the blade directly into the slot and cut off the excess felt in the slot and remove it. You get just a pinch or two of cuttings from a set, but there is no excess felt to drag on the sides and create friction, and there is always a positive "click" when the snaps on. The toothpick also "irons" the felt in the hole and all the elbows are free and of uniform tightness. I final check each elbow with a trial snap-on to test the seating of the eye, using a #18 centerpin held in a Vice-Grip. Some elbows fail completely due to manufacturing defects and get thrown away. The result is no trouble or failures on the job, or when the work is completed. Time invested -- 15 minutes a set??? (p.s. - I recently saw a piano in which two of the old pink Vagias elbows were actually broken. The "upper jaw"above the groove was broken up and off, as from an incredibly hard blow. The broken piece was held by the glued felt in the eye. I had never seen a broken replacement before. I never expect to see failures in the clear polycarbonate elbows. I think they are substantially stronger than the old pink ones.) An actual Technical Tip! Like a breath of fresh air, no? Bill Simon Phoenix
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