[pianotech] Filling screw holes

[Richard W. Bushey]

Sorry all,

I sent this a few days ago and it just came through.  I had sent two similar 
posts, this one had a larger pic file or something and didn't appear to 
post, so I resent it. That's what came through the other day and the 
original just posted today.
Sorry about that...

Carry on!


Richard W. Bushey
Richard's Piano Service
www.RichardsPianoService.com
Rbushey at RichardsPianoService.com
573-765-9903


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard W. Bushey" <rbushey4 at embarqmail.com>
To: <paulmulik at yahoo.com>; <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2012 3:51 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Filling screw holes


> Paul,
>
> Attached are some pics of what I've been using most of the time.
>
> The pics are out of order and the one with the hinge installed is an after
> picture.
> The lid had apparently been dropped on the lid prop several times, forcing
> the
> prop "out" of the piano and thus stripping all the screws. When I found 
> it,
> the lid
> prop was laying on the plate inside the piano.  The other pic is just one
> from a sample
> repair in a plain piece of wood.
>
> I use my hand held hammer shank drill to drill out the stripped hole (you
> could use a
> regular bit and drill if you want). NOTE: I always....always use tape or
> something on my bit, not shown in the pic (I had taken the tape off after
> drilling the hole
> before I realized I needed it left on for the pic)...as a depth guage
> because the last thing you want to do is go through the lid to the front
> side, or something. That would ruin your day.
>
> Next, use an upright hammer shank and score a small glue relief down one
> side (I have a hole drilled in the end of my hand drill handle with a 
> screw
> screwed in the side of the handle...just entering the hole in the handle,
> that I can push a hammer shank into, thus scoring about an inch of the 
> side
> of the shank to serve as a glue relief).  I then dry fit the hammer shank 
> in
> the cleaned out hole, mark the depth and cut it with hammer shank cutters,
> and glue it in flush.  Wait a minute, predrill it for the new screw and
> you're done.  I've used this method for stripped pedal bracket screws on
> uprights, stripped screws holding case parts on, and a lid prop stick 
> hinge
> on a grand piano.  What's nice is I already have the hammer shank drill 
> and
> hammer shanks as part of my repair kit, so it works nicely.  To me, it
> doesn't take a whole lot longer than the toothpick thing, and the repair 
> is
> much more permanent, in my opinion. I've used the shoepegs, sliver of 
> wood,
> or toothpick on occaisions when the whole wasn't that bad, but most of the
> time, this is what I like to do, so long as it will be covered by the 
> screw
> head, hinge, etc. as it does make a little larger hole.
>
> This type repair is really good for inside the piano where looks aren't as
> important
> if the screw or hardware doesn't cover it.  I suppose you could do the 
> same
> thing with
> smaller dowel, but something about the maple shanks I really like.
>
> Hope it helps.  If not for this application, then maybe down the road
> somewhere.
>
> Richard W. Bushey
> Richard's Piano Service
> www.RichardsPianoService.com
> Rbushey at RichardsPianoService.com
> 573-765-9903
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <paulmulik at yahoo.com>
> To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
> Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 7:16 AM
> Subject: [pianotech] Filling screw holes
>
>
>>A school that I tune for has a Kawai grand, and about a third of the 
>>little
>>screws from the long hinge (connecting the front lid to the main lid) have
>>fallen out. I've told them repeatedly that if they need to move the piano
>>around the room they must not push on the lid (I even left a note to the
>>lid warning against it), and of course they have ignored this advice.
>>
>> In the past I tried replacing them with slightly longer screws but those
>> have fallen out too. Obviously I need to fill the holes with something, I
>> guess using a syringe, but what?  Epoxy? Wood filler? Thick CA?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Paul Mulik
>> Sent from my U.S. Cellular BlackBerry® smartphone
>
>
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