Leg Plate Screw Anchors

[Farrell]

Yes, you saw oak. The new keybed ends where the legs go are an exact replica
of the original - they are a sandwich construction of a hard maple plank
that the key frame rests on, an inner block of oak, and a bottom plank of
oak - total thickness 1-3/4". I realize in this particular case the original
legs came loose because termites ate the wood. Even oak ain't no dern good
if it ain't there! I would need new screws - where do you get bigger screws
like plate screws and leg plate screws? Another concern I have about screws
is that oak & maple are so hard, I should think they really need to be
tapped to make threads - how does one do that? It might not be any more
difficult to use the inserts or T-nuts as someone else mentioned.

Waddaya think?

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg Newell" <gnewell@ameritech.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2001 11:42 PM
Subject: Re: Leg Plate Screw Anchors


Terry,
    In those pictures wasn't that oak I saw? Do you really think that those
new
screw holes will pull out? If you used a good hardwood I'd be inclined to
just
put traditional screws back in. I'm sure they'll hold just fine. Usually the
times I see stripped screws is in a softwood keybed with really lack lustre
wood
in the first place. You're not putting the same thing back so the same thing
isn't likely to happen.

Greg

Farrell wrote:

> I just replaced a keybed in an old Knabe grand. The old screws for the
cast
> iron leg plate had pulled out several times. I see so many weak legs on
old
> pianos. This piano gets moved around quite a bit in the hospital lobby
where
> it is located (it will be placed on a new piano truck). Still though, I
was
> thinking that it would be of benefit to make a stronger attachment for the
> leg plate. I was thinking of using threaded (steel or brass) wood inserts.
> Perhaps epoxy the insert in, and then the plate would be attached with
> flat-head stove bolts. Has anyone come up with an improvement over wood
> screws in this area?
>
> Terry Farrell

--
Greg Newell
Greg's Piano Forté
12970 Harlon Ave.
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
216-226-3791
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net