I agree with Doug on the candle wax. Works well for me on walnut.
 
Al
 

17  Wedgewood Drive
Ithaca NY 14850
607-257-0840  

 
In a message dated 2/27/2008 4:48:32 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

What I  have just tried is boring the holes to exactly the diameter of the
modern  ultra-round 4mm pins, then whacking the pins with a hammer to take
them out  of round - slightly flattened ovals - by what turns out to be 0.2mm
or  so.  They are lovely to turn.

I think the problem with modern pins  is that they are too round and that
they have too close a fit in their  holes.

I expect that this solution is too much hard work for an  instrument that's
already strung though - first rule of harpsichord  tinkering:  if it works,
leave it alone, no matter how much you think  it could be improved.

A little bit of candle wax will help as  well.  Stroke the pin along a candle
to deposit a little bit of wax on  it and put it back in:  the tick-tick-tick
will stop.


doug  



how does one un-stick modern tuning pins mounted in a  relatively new walnut
pinblock?  






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