If you are using a tuning pin bushing, do you drive the pin into it, or screw it in?

Good video. It's worth mentioning that, when pounding tuning pins in a grand piano, it's a good idea to first shore up the pin block with a pin block jack (or other means) to prevent the block from possibly cracking.

Thanks you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. It's greatly appreciated. I just bought an old 1960s piano that's out of tune, dampers are bad, some strings buzz on the dampers, some keys are slightly sunk, and a lot of the jacks aren't moving out of the way. So, your videos are helping me in understanding how to tune the whole system up myself and not fall into newbie traps. Thank you so much!

Thank you for the video. I just want to warn viewers that using the 'pin setting' method (where you use a hammer with a pin setter) can do serious damage to a grand (non-upright) piano without support under the pin block. The action would need to be removed and there's a special jig - kind of similar to a modern car jack that can be used to support the pin block while performing this kind of repair.

I recently replaced a few strings on a dilapidated W.H Lane upright from the 1890's, the pins came loose afterwards. Thanks for making this video.

Bellissimo video!!

Thanks. Very helpful !!

Thank you so much!

Really glad you posted this very informative video. God bless and regards from Antonio Goa India

I'm am learning a lot from your videos. Thank you so much for posting.

Hi, I posted a comment a couple up days ago regarding raising my 1922 piano closer to pitch. As mentioned, my tuner did exactly as you just described by resetting the pins, by tapping them deeper into the pin block, as a couple weren't tight enough. Great Info,Thanks. Roj UK

Thanks for watching Kenneth, No you wouldn't need to drill the hole bigger if putting in a larger tuning pin as the reason for the larger pin is so the pin will be tighter in the hole. The difference between tuning pin sizes is only about .006". You wouldn't need a larger size tip either as the difference between the sizes are minimal. The tip may fit slightly different on the larger pins than on the smaller ones, but it will still do the job.

Thanks, this is very instructive.

Nice video. This seems to happen a lot with cheaper pianos and you can essentially add value to it by fixing this where it pops up.

I'd forget the metal sleeves - I never found them any good, and gave up on them thirty years ago. A shim of veneer or even business card is better (or a larger diameter pin). The CA treatment is generally very effective though, and is a minimum-intervention approach. I find it very helpful to use Zap Flexi-Tips on the tube or bottle. They fit most nozzles and give very fine control of dispensing.

thanks for doing this video howard, i just had a question though, if you replace the tuning pin with a larger size, do you need to drill the whole any bigger or can i just pound it in? also, if i use a larger pin, do i need to use a piano hammer with a different star tip?

wood bushings v metal bushings ? what are the differences in use and applications ?

Can you tell me what is the inox hammer’s name? Thank you your video.

Hello Howard. I hope you still answer questions on your videos because I have a good one. My piano needs some tuning as far as loose pins go, but the coils already reached the block, just like you point out at around 11:15. It's really old, from the XIX century, and the pins go into a woodblock instead of a more modern metal one. How can I repair the looseness in that case? I hope there's something I can do on my own and I appreciate you taking the time to read and answer our questions. Cheers!

Thank you so much for this video. I have a 1903 Gulbransen Upright piano. My parents gave it to me for my 12th birthday. They had the player removed. Everything is still original and the sound it has is awesome. The wood has gotten soft and won't hold a tune. My brother and I will use your method with the CA glue. If that doesn't work, we will use the other 2 methods. I want my beautiful piano back! I will let you know the results. Thank you!

Hello, on the other end of the string in this video - what are those metal bits the string rests against called?

Thank you for these great videos. I used an Acrosonic Spinet to learn restringing. Went from a #2 pin to #3. Too loose. Used CA glue that my trainer let freeze in his car. Didn't know that until we screwed up my pinblock. Went from 3# to #5 pin. SO tight now. So I have half too tight #5's with bad CA glue and half #3s with bad CA glue. Trainer doesn't want to help. He's gone. Question is....Would the metal bushings be a good option for a whole pin block? I'm not prepared or experienced enough to attempt a pinblock change on a spinet. Thanks again for your generosity.

What about CA glue mixed with sawdust like when you have holes in a door that are too big or glued planed shavings? Star tool set in Harbor Freight for cheap and good to have if you need to loosen bolts on your Mercedes.

Thank you for another very helpful video. Would you tilt an upright before using the glue method, or can you get it to wick around the pin without running down the plate?

Great video as usual. I'm still unsure of what holds the pin in the wood block. Is it threaded? Or is it just a friction fit, like a nail?

hey do you use the torque wrench to measure tightening or loosening torque? thanks

Is it a good idea to remove the tuning pins and put CA inside on the sides. Then dip the tuning pin in thin epoxy and turn the pin back in? Thanks a lot in advance

That is a really brilliant demonstration of the methods available for fixing loose tuning pins! I personally would have liked to see a demonstration on how to actually use the metal tuning pin bushings. Do you think you will be making a small video on that subject in the near future?

Hi Howard, thank you so much for those fantastic videos! Can you give me an advice how to choose the right size of the tunning pin bushings if I must replace the broken bushings? How to choose the right size of the centar hole of the bushings? Thank you in advance!

I have read to drill a small hole into the piano tuning bushing, so the CA glue or tuning pin tightener can actually gets down far enough to tighten the pin. Is this a good technique?

Can you please tell us what brand of CA glue you recommend?

I noticed that star shaped adapter can cause indentations in the pin..is this a problem for nickel plated pins, could this damage the plating and cause steel to rust?

When using tuning pin bushings, are the pins hammered into the bushings at first, or do we need to screw them in the whole distance?

Hi Howard, I have quite a few loose front rail pins on my piano. This causes the keys to move from side to side when struck so it is much harder to play. Would it be a bad idea to use the CA Glue used in this video to fill the loose keypin holes?

How do you apply the ca glue in a vertical? Should you lay it down before applying the glue? Or turn the tuning pin 3-4 counterclockwise to bring it out and then apply the glue at the bottom of the pin and then put it back again into the pin block in order to lead the glue inside the pin block? Thanks a lot for your time

I have a few older autoharps that have loose tuning pins. I suspect, that "CA Glue" (better known as "Super Glue"), will do the same thing in tightening up the harp's pins in their wooden base. Two of my harps are older than 20 yrs old (one dated back to the 1930's (in very good condition for it's age) has a very small amount of slippage on a couple of pins, but otherwise plays well). The other harp, I picked up not long ago, that was in somewhat, poor condition (not properly taken care of). I have re-felted the key bars, and now I am replacing the old, well used, dead sounding strings. I noticed the pins had some rust deposits on them, near, and around the pin holes, and some had been turned in a bit too far than they should have been by the past owner.. I removed all the pins, and buffed them up with a wire brush, cleaning off all the rust deposits, and cleaned out the string holes. When I re-inserted the pins at their proper required heights for installing new strings, found they were now much looser, than they were before I removed them. Gripping torque, had dropped somewhat. I doubt the new strings will remain tuned properly during tuning, and would slowly creep to a lower note setting. I'll give the "CA Glue" method a try, and see if it works. If it doesn't, I may have to go for new over-sized pins, to get back my lost torque levels. Many thanks for the idea. I have plenty of Super glue on hand, so I'll give that a try. May save me money on buying over-sized pins. Thanks again.

Thanks for the useful information. My tuner replaced one loose pin on my Blüthner grand piano by hammering in a size larger. After ten days it was already out again. (All the other pins are fine and stay in tune.) I am now worried that he caused more damage by hammering at it. Are you supposed to remove the action and support the pin block from underneath when replacing the pin?

Hi! Thanks for the video! I have a question: If I put in a bigger pin, will I need a different tuning lever to fit the head of the new pin?

I've been applying CA glue for over 10 years, probably 100 pianos in all. It works and the total cost to the customer is 2 service calls plus $25 for the glue. Its better than throwing it out, that would cost money too. Tom Lloyd www.mrtuner.ca

Please tell me you supported the pinblock when doing that. God forbid we get some amateurs trying this out not knowing the possible damage it can do.

You’re talking about a grand (with the glue) right? An upright must be layed over on it’s back in order for the CA glue to run into the hole, wouldn’t it?

How to determine which diameter is which pin #? Do you have a chart?

Hi. How can i rebush the tunning pin? Thanks.

If the CA glue is applied to a pin-block... how many years does that method usually last before it stops working? If/when the CA glue stops working, would it need to be reapplied or at that point would another method need to be used?

You should remove the pin wick the ca glue down the threads apply ca glue accelerator .... other way is rosin or pitch from a tree which is traditional way

Sometimes it could be that the pinblock (the wood that the pins go into) has become spongy and too soft with moisture or the change in temperature which means your in for a new block, which involves taking out all the strings, plate and replacing the pinblock, then putting it all back in again. I've seen people do that in fact they do that when they rebuild pianos, they usually do the soundboard and pinblock at the same time but obviously that's a big job and rarely done except on very good pianos that are worth rebuilding like vintage Steinways, Bluthners, Bechsteins and german pianos and others.

linseed oil with metho or thinners

No shimming? :( seems like cheapest, easyist and possibly best.

use cardboard shim as it's made Max. "TheMaximillyan"

How do you get the pin out?

I am from India. Could you give me some contracts where some companies sell all kinds of piano spare parts , and ship them to India? Thanks in advance.

Of course, NEVER drive a tuning pin into a grand piano block without removing the action and supporting the block with a jack. :)

i just watched another person use super glue to fix thier pins, is that ok, im assuming its not.

There is so much questionable information on KZfaq. Interesting for hobbyists but not for the top professionals at Steinway & Sons. At Westminster Pianos Steinway technicians have complemented us on our expertise! In the 1980's 21 technicians were employed in London; today there are just 6! Westminster Pianos

You speak too slow, too many words and say nothing to the point! Just simplify your explanation. And the model of this glue is still unknown (missing info in the video`s explanation).