Pianotech

This is a C171 Hamilton.  I don't think it's a Samick, as there are no SG numbers on the action frame.  Daewoo?  Not Young Chang either.  I had some agraffes that looked the same as the original (arched top, not straight), and the threads seemed to work until I got it halfway in.  Gradually the thing got tighter and tighter, and obviously the threads didn't match.  Does anyone have ideas where I could get replacement(s)?  Does Baldwin have parts for these old Korean pianos? 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Paul, with the threads getting a good start to halfway-in, I would think you would consider using a 1/4" x 36 (or 7/32" X 36) tap to enable the agraffe to go in the rest of the way.  Bring the appropriate drill bit along, just in case, but it doesn't sound like you will need it. Or likely, am I missing something?  Regards, Norman 

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Norman Brickman
Potomac Piano Service
Potomac, Maryland
potomacpiano@verizon.net
https://potomacpiano.com
(301) 983.9321
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Paul,

Sounds to me like it's a metric thread. I have had similar experience with certain close metric threads on bolts and it seems to depend somewhat on how carefully the threads were cut (on either male or female side) as to how far in they go before encountering complete mismatch. Unfortunately I do not have a solution for you but it's good to know in advance if I encounter one of these.

Peter Grey Piano Doctor 

An older thread..  I finally found the solution.  Here's the story.  I had taken out an agraffe from the piano to see if I could find a match, or the thread size.  Shortly afterward, I had a Kawai piano with a broken agraffe, and somehow by chance (?) used this agraffe from the Howard (it's not a Hamilton, my mistake).  It fit, but I didn't realize I had used the Howard agraffe as a sample.  Anyway, it dawned on me that I had used that Howard agraffe on a Kawai.  So, I called Kawai to see if they had some agraffes they could sell me.  The parts person told me they were out of them.  I asked to speak to the head of the technical dept., and I asked him if he knew what the thread size was.  He wasn't sure.  When I told him the situation with the Howard, and that none of the metric or English sized agraffes would fit, he immediately said that the Howard piano was made by Kawai.  AHA!  And, he had a few agraffes in his possession.  Which I was able to get.  SO.. a mystery solved.  Kawai uses a unique thread (metric, but not the usual metric size in the catalogs).  And they did make the Howard grand (sure didn't look like any Kawai I've seen, and no markings suggesting where/who made it).

Just FYI, in case anyone might be interested.