Oversize pins in a doped block

[Mike and Jane Spalding]

Patrick, Don, Joe, Joe, Dave, and Hans,

Thanks much for your varied points of view.  While it's not my preferred solution, I am committed to restringing without replacing the pinblock.  Pinblock replacement knowledge and skills are not the problem, budget is the problem.  30 year old Story & Clark baby grand.  What is it worth?  What would it be worth if restrung with a new block?  Does not compute.  I believe I am trying to provide the best service under the circumstances, keeping the best interest of the customer in mind.

Trying to synthesize all of your experiences into some guidelines for this job:

1.  Doped blocks can grip a pin tight enough to shear it off.  Therefore I should not increase the pin size a) as much as for a healthy block or b) at all.  The original pins felt very tight, but grabby, when I removed them.  They are .272 diameter.

2.  Joe Goss, you said that CA can "counteract" the effect of the glycerine.  Could you elaborate?  Are you talking about making it tighter/looser, or tuning feel, or what?

I went to the archives and found Joe Garrett's description of pre-soaking the bushings before installation, which I would like to try.  Joe, how critical is the fit of the pin to the inside diameter of the bushing?

thanks

Mike Spalding RPT