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Hi All,

I am trying to remove the plate from and old upright, I have all the strings off, the screws out of the plate and the bolts off, but there is this thing in the middle of the plate that I can't figure out how to remove. Any help would be appreciated.





Thanks,
ewaite

Usually you can turn the bolt with a wrench to loosen the nut. I have also filed an old piece of steel to fit the split nut and loosen it by using a wrench on it.

I collect large screwdrivers for working on pianos, especially bits that fit in a bit brace.

I have a pair of needle-nose pliers that I ground to fit nuts like that. I open the pliers until they engage the two holes, then use an adjustable wrench to turn the pliers. It's crude, but it works.

I have a few ground down spade drill bits.
Very strong and easy to modify.

Or, if you're not worried about keeping that “authentic” look, (it's an upright, who's going to see it?) simply take a large pair of Channellock pliers and remove it. The threads on the nosebolt are generally a standard imperial size and pitch and an off-the-shelf brass nut will fit nicely.

ddf

Hi all,

Thanks for the input, I used a dremel tool to open the slots better and then a large screw driver and adjustable wrench to break it loose. I wasn't sure it was it was threaded, couldn't see any threads. Once I broke it loose it came of easily.

Thanks Again,
Ed Waite

Is it common to remove a plate from a piano?

I'm curious about this one. Would I ever need to? It's not a replaceable part, right? If it breaks the piano is probably scrap?

On an upright no.........

On a grand quite a bit. Grand’s are considered restorable and uprights usually are not...(unless there is some attachment to the upright of some importance to the client…)

Once the plate is fractured usually this is the end....

Hi All,

Interesting story about this plate. The Piano is 100+ years old and when tearing it down I found a logo on the plate saying it was manufactured by O S Kelly in Springfield OH. After a Google search I found they are still in business and now owned by Steinway. Springfield is only about 15 miles from my home and I am taking the plate to them to have it refinished next week.

ewaite