[pianotech] Problem solving customer

[Joe Goss]

Nifty, I like that one brittle flanges good repair.
Joe Goss BSMusEd MMusEd RPT
imatunr at srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joseph Garrett" <joegarrett at earthlink.net>
To: "pianotech" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 3:44 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Problem solving customer


> David said:
> "Today I visited a customer who has a 1911 German (Schiller) upright. It
> was refurbished about 40 years ago, but the action parts are brittle. A
> hammer was wobbling around, and it turned out that the hammer butt had
> split at the butt plate screw. Actually it was an old glue repair that
> had given way. I had no spare hammer butts with me.
>
> Attempts to repair it with CA glue were proving problematical as
> tightening the butt plate screw was forcing the join apart. I asked the
> customer, a technically minded guy, if he might have a little washer
> that I could put under the butt plate screw head so that it would not
> penetrate so far, but would still grip because of CA glue partly filling
> the hole.
>
> The customer measured the butt plate screw head and shaft diameters,
> went off, and came back with a beautiful little 2 millimeter high
> countersunk washer which he had just turned and drilled from aluminum
> rod! It made a perfect little collar and the idea worked. Unfortunately
> my cellphone camera wouldnt work so I couldn't get a photo.
>
> Best regards,"
>
> David,
> I've had a few customers like that. <G> That's really neat, imo.
> However, the next time you run into that situation, you might consider
> just drilling an 1/8" hole across the butt, slightly below the surface, at
> the plate screw site and insert a piece of 1/8" dowel with Titebond III.
> This will give you cross grain to anchor the screw into. (sounds more
> complicated than it actually is.<G>)
> Regards,
> Joe
> Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
> Captain of the Tool Police
> Squares R I
>
>