Broken Agraffe removal option

[Phil Bondi]

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I wrote to this list recently asking for advice for removing a broken 
agraffe. What I received in return was the sage advice that we all have 
come to know from this collection of technicians.

Before I went to this clients home yesterday, I called a long-time 
confidant asking for some guidance, prayer, and any advice he had since 
I had never done this type of repair before. I explained to him what I 
had read here and what was suggested here.

He had another idea:

He suggested that I go to Grainger and get a left-threaded drill 
bit(1/8"), an awl, and file 3 equal sides about 1/4" up from the 
tip...just in case. The purpose of filing the awl was in the event that 
the left-handed drill bit did not remove the agraffe on its own.

It was his opinion that the left-threaded drill bit would remove the 
broken agraffe on its own without the aide of the awl..and if it did, I 
would own him a hamburger.

Make it a Happy Meal.

Here's the procedure I used yesterday to easily remove a broken agraffe:

-Apply some Liquid Wrench to the broken stub.
-With the awl, lightly tap a starting hole/point for the drill bit to 
bite into.
-insert the drill bit and start slowly..trying to find a bite.

As soon as the drill bit found a bite, the agraffe started to spin free. 
At this point, there is no need to do anything else except remove the 
stub with your fingers..or in Guy Nichols' case, perhaps use tweezers to 
remove the stub.

I will admit that I had, obviously, never removed a broken agraffe until 
yesterday. I am here to suggest to the experienced techs as well as the 
new techs to strongly consider this type of procedure the next time 
you're faced with a broken agraffe. For a person like myself, skiddish 
at best when working on a clients piano doing a procedure I have never 
done before, that outside of the sweat pouring off my face in 
nervousness, this procedure could not have been more tech-friendly as 
well as plate-friendly.

For those who don't know, Grainger only allows businesses to have an 
account with them. It costs nothing to fill out an application. I had an 
account with them since this same confidant had suggested it a few years 
ago. Grainger has the odd and hard-to-find stuff.

You can't imagine the relief I felt when I saw that stub start to turn.

One Happy Meal..coming up.

Phil Bondi(Fl)

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