samick tuning pins

[Billbrpt@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 2/5/00 12:25:04 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
RNossaman@KSCABLE.com writes:

<< I believe I'd offer to CA the block as a
 relatively low cost, kill or cure type of alternative.  >>

Les,

I usually don't get involved in rebuilding/reconditioning or re-whatever 
threads but this one did interest me.  Replacing the pinblock in a vertical 
is not that easy.  Many have chosen plugging instead.  I agree with those who 
have said that it sounds like delamination or possibly some other kind of 
deterioration. You'll need to look at the top of the block by removing 
whatever material there is to hide it.

I did want to relate one experience I had.  Because the circumstances made it 
possible, I took the pinblock from a Haddorff grand.  It was delaminating but 
only slightly.  The pins were a bit loose and jumpy before restoration.  I 
used a brand of wood compatible Epoxy that was recommended by Richard 
Anderson RPT of Illinois who writes on this List.  I thinned the Epoxy to a 
watery consistency with acetone.

I used a hypo-oiler to soak every tuning pin hole (and also plate screw 
holes) and tried to flood any areas that were delaminating with the epoxy.  I 
clamped the delaminating areas lightly but evenly.  When the first 
application was cured, I repeated the tuning pin hole "sizing" that I was 
attempting with the Epoxy.  I did nothing more than this and restrung the 
piano using 2/0 pins.

In retrospect, I would have used a reamer and I would have sorted my pins 
with a micrometer but even though I did not do the last two operations which 
might have really made a positive difference, that piano has always had very 
tight tuning pins, although a bit cracky and jumpy now for 15 years.  Over 
the years, the cracky, jumpy feel has evened itself out.  The piano now tunes 
with what I would call a completely normal and good, tight feel.

The point is that the piano you have is relatively young but has a pinblock 
problem.  It is also a piano that is worth only a few thousand dollars at 
best.  It wouldn't make sense to do work that is valued more than the piano 
itself is.  The use of Epoxy or CA glue will provide the restorative 
properties to the pinblock that you need.  If you proceed with this project, 
I would suggest using the approach I did if you are going to repin.  If there 
is delamination, the thinned Epoxy will flow into any areas that are open.  
It will soak into any deteriorated areas of the tuning pin holes. 

If you give it a double dose as I did, you can be sure that it will size up 
those holes so that a regular 2/0 pin might work.  When you are restringing, 
use the reamer to even out the hole to make it less jumpy.  If you come 
across a hole which is still too large for the 2/0 reamer (such as the one 
where you had already put a 4/0 pin), just find the size of reamer that fits 
that hole and use that size pin, a 3/0 or 4/0.

I think this is an appropriate way to handle the kind of problem you have 
with the grade of instrument you want to repair.  I would say that 
restringing it, rather than using the old strings would be your best bet too. 
 If you are not an experienced stringer, you just have to think in terms of 
getting each coil exactly right, becket closed, pulled up tightly and neatly 
before you go on to the next.  Even at that, you will find that you will need 
to pick over your job and fix things here and there.  It's not unlike tuning 
in that respect.

I would recommend that you install each string this way and pull it right up 
to pitch as you put it on.  I used to use a common pitch pipe for this.  The 
pitch of each string will drop naturally by more than 1/2 step as you 
continue to work.  You will be in a much better position to do the subsequent 
pitch raise tuning you must do if you have initially brought each string up 
to pitch as you work.

It is a long, hard job but a very satisfying one when you put on that last 
string.  I always used to rake my hammer shank used for chipping the string 
up to pitch across the strings and think to myself the scene from the film, 
"Frankenstein" where the doctor saw that hand move and exclaimed, "It's 
alive!"

Good luck,

Bill Bremmer RPT
Madison, Wisconsin