Broken Hitch Pin.

[Farrell]

Hey Phil. I have never repaired a broken hitch pin, but I have replaced original type with both standard (when converting tenor plain tricords to wound bicords) and vertical hitch pins. I think many plates are drilled through so that you can simply tap the old pin stub through the plate. BUT NOT ALL plates are drilled through - I have a Baldwin M plate out in my shop and the standard style hitch pins are NOT drilled through anywhere on the plate.

I have tried drilling directly into the hitch pin stub when trying to use the original location. I have not generally been happy with MY results. The pin material is harder than the cast iron. Drill bits tend to wander to the softer material - so be aware of that. If the plate is not out of the piano, you might try gentle taps (light enough to not threaten breaking the plate) to see if the old pin stub will pop out the plate bottom (perhaps you can feel or use a mirror to see if the hitch pins holes go through the plate). If that fails, just re-locate the replacement pin - to the rear or where-ever from the original location. Cast iron is soooooo easy to drill. Replacement hitch pins are available from Pianotek.

You know well my level of experience. So as always, take everything I say with a large grain of salt and wait for a response from someone who knows what the heck they are talking about.   ;-)

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Bondi" <phil@philbondi.com>
To: "Newtonville" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 5:51 AM
Subject: Broken Hitch Pin.


> Good Morning.
> 
> I just did a search through 20 Years Of Journals and came up empty on this
> subject. Maybe I'm not searching correctly..don't know.
> 
> Anyway, I need to repair a broken hitch pin..Grand piano.
> 
> I've never done this repair, so be gentle with me.
> 
> Thanks,
> -Phil Bondi (Fl.)
> phil@philbondi.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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