[pianotech] More agraffes...kind'a

[David Love]

If the lacquer is building up around the agraffe holes such that it's grabbing and chipping you are probably putting on too thick a finish or too brittle a formula or both. 

I usually just insert box nails head down on the holes, spray and then pick them up. Never had the problem of either the nails or the new agraffes sticking and chipping the finish.
.
David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
(sent from bb)

-----Original Message-----
From: "Roger at Integra.net" <rgable at integra.net>
Sender: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 15:33:26 
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Reply-To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] More agraffes...kind'a

Jim,
The best approach is to leave the agraffes in the plate - loosen slightly 
before spaying -- then install new agraffes after spraying. Understand that 
an ingredient to good tone is a clean, well defined termination of the 
string, and the new agraffe will provide you with that improved termination. 
If it isn't possible to obtain replacement agraffes -- a rare occasion --  
then remove the agraffes after spraying and clean them with a solvent.
Roger Gable

-----Original Message----- 
From: Jim Ialeggio
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 1:03 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] More agraffes...kind'a

In the past, when refinishing a plate, I've had trouble with finish
build-up in the agraffe couterbore bottom and sides. The buildup then
was pulled along as the agraffe was tightened, sometime bringing surface
finish with it, restulting in chips and other nasties.

I've tried placing finish washers in the counterbore, held in by the
weight of a screw, but I'm not happy with this, as it bonds the finish
washer to the counterbore sides, creating chipping problems of its own,
though less than no finish washer.

Ideally, I'd cut a small bevel on the counterbore sides, and then not
worry about masking the countebores, but in playing with this, I don't
have a countersink remotely shallow enough to do the trick in such a
shallow counterbore.

Any thoughts on other ways to approach this easily?

Jim Ialeggio

-- 
Jim Ialeggio
jim at grandpianosolutions.com
978 425-9026
Shirley Center, MA