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Great, thanks, I'm going to try it. There are several pins so loose that I can't hurt them and might help them get by until they can get a better piano.

How much tension I put when I make a pinblock?....when I put the epoxi glue....thank

As much es possible. Most pinblocks are made with something like Bolduc glue. It is of the consistancy of titebond but does not become gummy when drilling the pin holes. Epoxy should be thin.
Press between two old pinblocks or a concrete floor and an old pinblock. You could drive the wheel of a large truck on it or use screw jacks against solid footings.

Hi everybody!

I have been out of touch for awhile - but I wanted to do a follow up report.

Today I did a full CA treatment on the piano that started this thread. I did everything as described by Bob and took other tips from other posts and articles. The bottom line is this: The whole thing work fabulously! I did two passes of CA and did some other regulation and pedal adjustments while the glue got a little drier. I did a pitch raise and a fine tuning. The pin felt firm and natural like a fairly new piano.

Thanks for the input! I learned something very useful today!

Out of all the tuning pin fixes, I like the feel of the CA glue the best. Thanks for the followup.

You can order it online from:
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products/towr3800.html

Order what? I probably already have it.

In referring to the pin problems, some mention of CA glue. Could someone explain what that is? Have been using PinTite or Garfield Pin Block Restorer, with various results (mostly not so good). Any hints would be appreciated. Thanks - Ray Micsan, Daphne, Ala.

Keith, for people who don't live near a hobby shop, they can buy CA Glue online at Tower Hobbies.

Before I try CA glue I'm curious if anyone has ever had a tuning pin bond with the pin block so tight that the pin wouldn't budge with a tuning lever. Or, has anyone accidentally applied CA glue to the string and have it bond to the pin?

Almost. If there are some tight ones it can make the pin tighter. On those pianos, mark the ones that are loose on the first pass. Just CA glue those pins.

Don't loosen the coils. If you get CA glue on the coil it won't tighten up without you chipping the glue off. Any glue on the coil falls off otherwise.

I need information about an upright SAMICK SU 127, serie # HGE02187.
Pictures and sites about are welcome.

Thank you very much.

"Welcome to Costa Rica"

I've never found any type of syringe that has not given me trouble with ca glue. The plunger tends to stick for me and I press and press, and then finally the plunger lets go with pressure and you got a mess.

I have found the small fine tip pipette squeeze bulb applicators in hobby shops do a wonderful job since they have ends up to 6" long. This lets you cut them back if you let them sit and they clog. Unused glue gets shot back into the main bottle to save on waste. I drilled a hole in a small block of wood for the bulb and this lets me sit it upright if I need my hands freed up when I'm using it. I get a dozen of them for about $5 and toss them after each use. They are similar to these...

http://tinyurl.com/3q4a9ev

Interestingly enough, the best CA glue out there is from Mercury Adhesives. Only company to offer unlimited shelf life guarantee and their bottles use a triple lock system to keep them fresh after opening.

The burning sensation in the nose from the fumes is not harmful to you nor does it cause allergic reactions, its classified as an irritant. For those that are particularly irritated by it Mercury makes the M100F and M1000F CA glue that is low odour and produces no fumes. I've used this stuff for years and its way better than anything else I tried. Its also used by military, engineering and medical industries.

Not all CA glues have the same amount of brittleness when they dry and this brittleness I think has much to do with the feel you get on the pin. Those who don't like the feel of the pin should try using a different brand of CA before giving up on it or chastising the method. CA glues that dry more flexible don't feel as good as other brands that don't.

Before a new block consider plugging the holes, it is a cheaper option. Go a few notes either side of the problem area or do the whole plank, drill up through the bit sizes until you can glue in some half inch diameter maple laminate plugs (available on the market now and brilliant) once the frame's back in redrill smaller holes with the 5 degree rake.
This is just one more option, it's not as neat looking but it saves a lot of work and cost and it is very effective.
Once the frame comes out the most important other factors to consider are the soundboard and bridges, repair those splits, revarnish if possible, clean and re-black-lead the bridges, reglue loose bridge pins. That's the bare minimum in my humble opinion.