tapping new agraffes

[A440A@AOL.COM]

David writes: 
> Even in the case of old Steinways with the 7/32" shank, I've often thought 
of drilling out the whole for the larger 1/4" size and retapping to insure 
against future breakage.
 

Greetings, 
    At Reno,  I had a chance to talk to several techs who replace a lot of 
agraffes. The 7/32" were not the most prone to breakage, it was the later 
style that did.  I believe that any size agraffe will break if it is torqued 
too tightly upon installation. I Have see the tops of them bent on factory 
fresh pianos! 
   Nossman tells me that he taps them out for 1/4" as a matter of course, and 
I think the next time I decide to change them, I will do the same.  I was 
unable to find ANY true 7/32" threads on the new agraffes.  (7/32" is .218", 
and I could only find these units with threads that measured .210". This 
didn't allow enough thread engagement and I stripped the first two that I 
installed. )  Beware the new!
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT