[pianotech] Agraffe Washers

[Ron Nossaman]

While we're here, I'm still wondering why agraffe washers are even used 
- ever. For height shims, maybe, but for alignment, neither shims nor 
end mills are necessary. The use of shims and end mills is predicated on 
the assumption that THAT particular agraffe is by God going to go into 
THIS particular hole no matter what!! Why does it need to? I've found 
that having 10%-15% more agraffes of any given type on hand for a 
rebuild is sufficient that there will be an agraffe in the pile that 
will align within reasonable and functional tolerance in each of the 
plate holes. If you put an agraffe in the hole and find it doesn't snug 
down in adequate alignment, you have to take it out again to fix it by 
hoping one of your few stock shim sizes will work, to part off a custom 
shim, or to guess by feel taking the shoulder down with an end mill. 
Since the agraffe comes out anyway if it doesn't align in the first 
hole, try it on the next hole down, or the next. Usually within three 
holes, it will work without modification or shims. Then you'll get one 
or two that fit the first time and gain some ground back. With a decent 
tool for spinning them in and out, it goes very quickly and produces a 
good job without modifying or adding a thing. It takes me somewhere 
between 45 minutes and an hour to install a set. Is it faster using 
shims or planing down the shoulders with an end mill? If you're just 
replacing one broken agraffe, if you have three or four to choose from, 
you likely have an adequate match, again, without additions or 
modification. I really honestly don't get it. Why bother with shims and 
end mills?

Perpetually baffled in Do-Dah.
Ron N