Pianotech

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Don't forget to use mold-release on the pins.  If you try to reduce the size more than a size or two, make sure the pin is sitting straight in the hole.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

I have typically glue-sized the holes using well-watered-down wood glue.  I have let the water evaporate before inserting a pin.  

Don't forget to use mold-release on the pins.  If you try to reduce the size more than a size or two, make sure the pin is sitting straight in the hole.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Before more people suggest using new parts, please view the attached sketch of the action in question. These parts went out of production around 1880. This is an Ed. Westermayer patent action, one of several which he invented.

Pete: any suggestions for "making sure the pin is sitting straight in the hole"? I have to go down considerably in pin size. For this, I tend to think that wood glue might be more flexible/compressible than a bead of CA glue, which gets glass hard. Thoughts?

I have typically glue-sized the holes using well-watered-down wood glue.  I have let the water evaporate before inserting a pin.  

Don't forget to use mold-release on the pins.  If you try to reduce the size more than a size or two, make sure the pin is sitting straight in the hole.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Before more people suggest using new parts, please view the attached sketch of the action in question. These parts went out of production around 1880. This is an Ed. Westermayer patent action, one of several which he invented.

Pete: any suggestions for "making sure the pin is sitting straight in the hole"? I have to go down considerably in pin size. For this, I tend to think that wood glue might be more flexible/compressible than a bead of CA glue, which gets glass hard. Thoughts?

I have typically glue-sized the holes using well-watered-down wood glue.  I have let the water evaporate before inserting a pin.  

Don't forget to use mold-release on the pins.  If you try to reduce the size more than a size or two, make sure the pin is sitting straight in the hole.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

You could drill and dowel holes,  the re-drill.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Parker Leigh: "You could drill and dowel holes,  the re-drill."
Have you done this with success? Please share directions and photos of your jigs and your drill bits.
I am hoping to not have to undertake this, but if I do i would certainly not use a dowel, which has the incorrect grain direction. I would  use a plug.  

But I am open to real life, tried and true experiences.  I have enough of my own speculations so please spare me those...

You could drill and dowel holes,  the re-drill.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

You could drill and dowel holes,  the re-drill.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

You could drill and dowel holes,  the re-drill.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

I see no birds eye in the sketch presented. If its the screw clamp system those are easy to fix.

You could drill and dowel holes,  the re-drill.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Regarding the drill bits, you can't use a standard bit because of the small diameter. So you would need to get custom bits. Since i work on many pianos that parts are no longer available. I tooled up a long time ago to manufacture my own parts. In the photo is a birds eye making tool along with the specialty bits needed.

-chris

I see no birds eye in the sketch presented. If its the screw clamp system those are easy to fix.

You could drill and dowel holes,  the re-drill.

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?

Looking for tips on resizing birds eyes. I am refurbishing the action of a 150 year old piano that has seen its fair share of playing and repairs.  Many hammers have been previously re-pinned with very large center pins yet they are extremely loose (again).  I am re-bushing the flanges. (Photo shows underlever flanges in progress; the hammer flanges need the same treatment)

How can I reduce the hole in the birds eye so that I can re-pin with reasonably sized pins?