thumb protection when re-pinning

[William R. Monroe]

Dave & List,

I learned to make a tool at my local chapter meeting that would help you out
here.  It is simply a piece of wood cut into the shape of a circle, say 1/2"
thick by 1.5" - 2" in diameter.  Around the edge of this disc, drill little
holes and epoxy in the various sizes of center pins that you use most
frequently (or make it big enough to put 'em all in).  Then you can use this
disc not only for checking birdseye fit, but also for testing friction of
the flange.

William R. Monroe
Assoc.
Madison, WI




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Nereson" <davner@kaosol.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 1:56 AM
Subject: thumb protection when re-pinning


>     When re-pinning more than, say, twenty action parts, my right thumb
> really gets poked, cut, and chewed-up from repeatedly trying the pin in
the
> birdseye of each part being re-pinned to see if it's tight enough, then
> pushing it into both bushings on the flange, individually, to see if they
> need reaming, burnishing, or re-bushing, then after reaming, trying the
pin
> in the bushings again, maybe making another touch-up operation, then
trying
> the pin in the bushings again, then pushing the pin through one bushing
into
> the birdseye, and, finally, using the plunger-type re-pinning tool only
for
> the final push through the birdseye.  That's just one flange.  After a
> couple dozen, my thumb is raw meat, as though I took a rasp to it.
>     I've tried using a thimble, but you have to keep taking it off to try
> the pin in the bushing or to pick up a fine tool like a tiny reamer,
> tweezers, or center-pin, then put it back on to push the pin through.  And
> with it on, you don't have the sensitivity or control for trying the fit
of
> the pin in the bushing.  Nor do you with pliers.  Maybe some custom-made
> leather "thumb boot" through which a center-pin will NOT poke would work,
> but it would probably wear through quickly.  I need a bionic thumb!
>     Gang replacement is different, where you have all new flanges and you
> can chuck a roughened center pin in a drill and use that for the reamer,
> then just push all the same size pins through with the pinning tool.  But
> that's not the case with most actions I work on.
>     --David Nereson, RPT
>
>
>
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