Pianotech

  • 1.  Agraffes

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-12-2020 12:09
    Greetings all, I'm the guy with the Henry F Miller that was rebranded as a Baldwin. My question is this; This 1891 H F Miller grand keeps popping agraffes which are not the same as those currently available. Any body have a few out there to spare?

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    Edward Mastin
    Syracuse NY
    315-422-1291
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  • 2.  RE: Agraffes

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-12-2020 12:15
    If they are same except for the stem, you could drill and thread for a heli-coil.
    Paul McCloud
    San Diego




  • 3.  RE: Agraffes

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-12-2020 12:33
    Pardon my ignorance, what is a heli-coil?

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    Edward Mastin
    Syracuse NY
    315-422-1291
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  • 4.  RE: Agraffes

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-12-2020 12:38
    Hi Paul, I looked up the heli-coil. The problem with the H F Miller is not the coil, I can fit a modern agraffe into the hole, but the shortest modern agraffes are too tall. I already have three strings that are now a good 1/4 inch above the rest. It took a lot of adjustment to make those notes work. (And not well, I might add!)

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    Edward Mastin
    Syracuse NY
    315-422-1291
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  • 5.  RE: Agraffes

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-12-2020 19:28
    The problem is that anything anyone has is going to be just as old and worn as yours (probably).  What about spending the money to have a machinist duplicate them? Would be pricey, but possibly the only solution other than junking the piano.  

    Pwg


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    Peter Grey
    Stratham NH
    603-686-2395
    pianodoctor57@gmail.com
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  • 6.  RE: Agraffes

    Posted 02-18-2020 23:00
    Those agraffes are hard to find. I have a whole set of them , but can't part with them.  I believe I got these off of a pre 1900 Mason and Hamlin so other brands had them too. Much lower profile than modern ones.
    -chris


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    If it's pinging, it's not singing, it's just ringing,
    chernobieffpiano.com
    grandpianoman@protonmail.com
    Knoxville, TN
    865-986-7720
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  • 7.  RE: Agraffes

    Member
    Posted 02-19-2020 06:44
    You can take a piece of wood and glue 60 grit sandpaper onto it, drill a hole the width of agraffe threads, and then use this to sand away the bottom of the base of the agraffe (don't remember who I stole this method from.) It may not get the 1/4 inch needed, but in conjunction with drilling out where the agraffe seats, it might.

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    Don Dalton
    Chester VT
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