>With an agraffe turning tool and what type of 300-ft-ton hydraulic power >driver? My understanding is that folks were talking about applying epoxy >to the threads and then screwing the agraffe in. Are you suggesting that >this wonder epoxy will allow you to easily unscrew the agraffe afterwards? > >Terry Farrell I DID suggest that a release compound like McLube be applied to the agraffe threads first. That, and possibly some applied heat, and the agraffe should be removable if necessary. Now, why might it be necessary to remove that agraffe some day? Of all the millions of agraffes installed in pianos, I expect the large majority have stayed (or will stay) with the piano from the factory to the landfill without being removed. And in the event the piano is being rebuilt and the agraffes are being changed (a low incidence scenario), the rebuilder ought to be capable of getting the old agraffe out either by heat and applied torque, or drilling, sleeving if necessary, and re-tapping. If the re-tapping didn't go well, the same epoxy that proved so troublesome to remove the first time should make a darn good second time repair. I'd sleeve it, or tap them all out to 1/4" if they originally had 7/32", and duck the epoxy thing altogether. But how many agraffes get changed twice? While I would much rather see things done as "right" as possible, that isn't always going to happen out there in the service world, so we ought to at least try to make a realistic assessment of the actual damage done and avoid doing any more than necessary if there is a better way. Ron N
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