tightening zither pins
Bud Wertheim (bwertheim@zelacom.com)
Sun, 6 Oct 1996 10:31:13 -0400
A method I got from the terrific harp builder, Lynn Lewandowski, (I have two
of her harps) which works well in emergencies (and has lasted for years) is
to back out the pin and insert a piece of brown wrapping paper in the hole
then reinsert and tighten the pin. The brown paper which is made of wood,
fills the gap nicely and supplies sufficient filling to allow for tightening
without slippage. I did this with three pins, making wedge shaped pieces and
slipping them between the pin and the hole. None of them ever slipped again
and I've had that harp for 8 years since. I've done that with regular pins
too, on a wire strung harp and it holds. If the holes are too far enlarged,
then I would insert glued hardwood dowels and redrill.
...............Bud
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>Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 08:57:14 -0400
>From: Laura E Conrad <lconrad@world.std.com>
>Subject: tightening zither pins
>To: mkoster@hsmpk12a-56.eng.sun.com
>
>Michael writes:
>
> Cool. One contributor has had success with plastic wood. I've drilled
> and plugged. Do you know of some easier ways to tighten a loose zither
> pin? I occasionally get a harp with these pins, and very occasionally
> need to repair a slipping one. I'd like to do it without changing the
> appearance of the harp. Maybe the plastic wood is best after all.
>
>I don't know whether this applies to harps, but I know there's a
>liquid that piano tuners use to tighten tuning pins.
>
> Laura (lconrad@world.std.com)
>(617) 661-8097
>233 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
>
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