Bridge over troubled waters

[Farrell]

On a several restring jobs on older pianos of lower quality (budget
refurbish/rebuilds), I have used new copper bridge pins that were the same
size as the originals - and of course, some went into their respective holes
loose. I set the pins in unthickened West System epoxy with excellent
results - really cleaned up false beats, etc (also planed & renotched caps).
Note that I am not suggesting I think this is a good course of action on a
better piano where the owner is willing to pay for premium work.

On new bridges I use horizontally-laminated hard-maple caps. I drill for new
coppered bridge pins in the normal manner, but I swab the holes with
unthickened West System epoxy and dip the pin in epoxy upon installation.
Overkill? Maybe, but I don't want my bridges & bridge pins suffering the
same fate I see in most pianos after a few decades - or maybe just years
(cracked caps and loose pins). Does it hurt anything? I don't think so -
except perhaps my sort-term profit margin.

Terry Farrell


> Hi Dale,
>
> >Although i don not do this job frequently occasionally I find it
> >advantageous to pull bridge pins in an existing bridge,renotch &
> >then put in new pins.
>
> Likewise.
>
> >  However as many of you may know from doing this that most recently
> >the current copper supply of bridge pins are just slightly smaller
> >than the most originals which obviously does not help with getting a
> >tight fit.
>
> This can be a problem. We've made our own pins to the required size
> by getting silver steel centreless ground to the oversize diameter we
> require, then cutting the pins from the ground lengths of silver
> steel. But its a slow and costly process. Renner supplies bridge pins
> in several graduated diameters, but these pins do not have a very
> high standard of finish. We've been using them to date, but I'm
> looking for a better quality pin.
>
> Ron O.
> -- 
> OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
>     Grand Piano Manufacturers
> _______________________
>
> Web http://overspianos.com.au
> mailto:info@overspianos.com.au
> _______________________
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>