I have this exact model from 1897 but in black. It really is a stunning upright, unbelievable tone. I moved abroad and had to leave it with my parents - I miss it more than anything!

So encouraging that you restored this vintage piano. From other videos apparently this can last for at least 2 decades. I would guess it depends on the condition of the peg board etc.

Robert, I love your videos! I'm an RPT and a Bechstein dealer here in the U.S. The CA glue treatment has a high success rate for me, especially if I replace the tuning pin with a larger one. Usually replacing a size 2 with a size 3 (or size 4 in extreme circumstances). It's usually just not worth it to replace the whole pin block especially on an upright.

Another tip is you must use as much CA glue (super thin) as the wrest plank will absorb. If you go back to it later and try to put more in, the first treatment will have dried sealing the surface of the wrest plank and will stop more being absorbed. So it is a case of do it once do it right for best results

I used it on a 1923 Chickering grand which would not hold a tune in the lower base. The middle strings were better but border line. I did all of them and found it to be quite effective. It increased pin torque I would guess by over 30 % for all. It now holds up extremely well in a pretty stable room. It varies hardly any between tunings of 6 months or even a year. It has been doing so for 5 years, and was even moved. I would wait at least 6 hours after treatment to turn pins maybe even overnight. You will feel the pin "break" loose when you move it but the pin will stay "tight" after initial breaking loose. The uprights do better if done on their back. Be careful with ventilation. The stuff is bad to breathe. I love your pianos! I had a Schimmel that I really liked. I have a Mason and a Chickering now. Both are pretty decent. Wish I were closer. John.

Been tuning and repairing pianos for 30 years, I always put an oversized pin in, this process that you're doing here seems to be something new that a few technicians are starting to do. I may give it a try soon on an old piano budget job, see if it works out.

Thank you everyone for your useful comments. Sorry I don't have time to write to you all individually but you're all much appreciated! Marcus

I posted a long comment but it vanished. Best to use very low viscosity CA, not available in shops, need to order online. I like the little flexi tip nozzles like the one in your video - easier to control than pipettes etc. I have used those little pound shop bottles in the past - they are reasonably low viscosity, but the proper very low viscosity stuff is better, The flexi tips can be bought in packs online. American technicians, who discovered the CA method, having been using it for over thirty years now, and are extremely positive about the longevity of the results. It has saved many a solid old piano of little financial value, not worth full rebuild/restoration.

This is a game changer for many pianos and can be as permanent as permanent can be. If there is a visible gap I fill it and then fill it again until there isn't a gap and all before it dries.

I've done lots of this work. You do need a thin CA glue so that it travels properly. I've also found that around those loose pins you'll need to apply more to fill in the cracks in the board. You'll see it doing its job. Piano on its back is also the best way to do it. It certainly smartens up the torque of the pins but the down side is that you'll need to employ a different technique when tuning. All the best with the new experiment. EDIT: I always have an air extraction unit with me when I do it to get rid of the fumes

Nice repair, and many thanks for showing us the sound of so interesting pianos

Ideally you need to lay an upright on its back for this to work. I don’t think it works too well otherwise, the CA tends to run away rather than be absorbed by the wrest plank. You need to use super thin CA for best results much better than standard thickness CA, but of course it will run away if you don’t have gravity keeping it in the right place around the pin to be absorbed by the wood. I would certainly leave it longer than 30 mins before tuning it. Overnight is best in my experience. I think this is why some pins did not hold very well for you because you moved them before it had set well. If done carefully it can last quite a long time.

After seeing how commonly it is used in the USA I thought Id get some of the super thin CA and some of those fine nozzles, I bought a bottle for about 20 quid. Used it on an old upright yesterday and seems to have worked a treat - brilliant for rescuing otherwise sweet old instruments that are becoming untuneable, remember to put some absorbent blotter under the pinblock on a grand or it can run and drip through onto the mechanism underneath

Have a word with "LOCTITE" products on the phone. They are very good company, and they will have various grades of "Cynoacrylate adhesive" (CA GLUE). Loctite is used to provide the desired grade of "fit" on a very wide range of industrial applications. It is not normally considered a compromise these days. If you want it to last in the bottle make sure there is an air gap. The curing process (ANEROBIC) starts when it is excluded from the air. In wood, or were there is a very sloppy, or porous fit, a heavier than standard grade might be needed. Even maybe consider multiple applications. It was a giant leap forward sixty odd years ago, as far as I can remember. It will increase the life of many a piano Thank you for your many expert videos Marcus.

I use it regularly on old pianos here is Berlin. My experience is it can make alot of otherwise condemned pianos live a little longer. I apply to upright in client's homes with the piano upright. I use a small pipette. And do 3 passes on all the pins (On the death's door wrest plank better safe than sorry.) I begin by applying small amounts at a time trying to avoid it overspills. But I keep some clothe on a treble mute to catch any excess CA glue. I've found it holds really well over a couple of years here.

I've got another way to do this! If the pins are loose but the piano is tuneable, One of those that stays in tune just for a few days, apply the glue AFTER tuning.

I used Starbond Super Fast Thin on a Petrov piano, very easy to do, cover the mechanism in case it goes through the block, it makes the wood swell and hardens into cracks, just add glue until in pools around pin, low strings may need more than one pass to fill in all the cracks. Low strings are holding after two years just fine. New block would cost more than the piano, the glue cost $5

I am not a piano technician but here are my two cents. On the ivory key repair subject, I would try keeping the shards left from old ivory key repairs. I would then sort them by colour (or rather, tint), pulverize them really fine and then mix the powder with the c.a. glue. I would try to see if that works because if it does, then I could get a much more seamless repair with a matching colour - which would certainly be very worthwhile in a piano with many chipped ivories whose owner cannot stand the sight of. On the subject of the plank repair, there are a couple of points to make. First, I would not expect the c.a. glue repair to have the same grip, especially after tuning once or twice. Second, I would try to hold the application with as steady hand as possible and try to get it very close to the pin base and all around the pin in order to get most of the glue absorbed where it matters. For that reason, I see no other way, for hidden plank piano, than putting the piano on its back. I'd leave it there to set for a good hour or so and then tune it on its back to see if it still holds, then apply extra glue if needed. So for a house repair, I would certainly need the special piano prop for tilting the piano to its side etc. or a couple of strong guys. The applicator shown in the video looks perfect for the job. With the hidden plank pianos, however, there is no way of telling whether the glue seeps into the wood around the pin or just fills the void between the plank and the frame hence I would definitely get the piano on its back for this reason alone.

On CA glue: 1 drip or 2 per tuning pin could be a lot: for the thinnest viscosity capillary action will wick the fluid to where it's needed - The applicator here was great! - Upright piano on back is best, gravity is on your side: but even upright it should wick in, but any excess may create issue - Whatever a great temporary fix - CA glue uses mositure to go off: it will find this in the wrest plank wood / from atmosphere - Once opened difficult to preserve: cling film under screw top... As moisture eeks in from the atmosphere is goes thicker & thicker... PS When pulling apart it would be useful to show where the glue actually ended up? - Sealing ring at top: or penetrating down the pin where the hole is oval

thank 👍

Also the best glue to use is CA super thin.

Thanks for this and the other interesting videos. I hadn't known that CA glue was of use for loose tuning pins. Has anyone here had sufficient experience with CA glue and 'Pintight' to compare results?

There is a very nicely produced information sheet by American technician Chuck Behm, on the CA treatment (one of a series of excellent, very well illustrated information sheets he produced). It can be found on the Technical Infro 1 page of my website, about halfway down.

When using this stuff on a grand, protect the action underneath from glue that may run through and drip from the bottom of the pins.

Say if you use CA super glue that’s gel-like. Would that work the same? And if so would I have to lay an upright piano on its back so it will set correctly? Would gel glue not set in correctly and only thin glue would work? (It might have mention this in the video but at the time I’m writing this comment I cannot finish the video)

if the pin does not hold at all, then in order not to cut the string against the frame/ plate, when hammering the pin deeper, i first loosen the string strongly and hook the first coil of the string with an awl and a screwdriver and transfer it to the side outside the frame, where the tuning levers tip sits and then hammer another 0.5 cm deeper. Then the pin holds well . Old Soviet trick. LOL. As to the crack, my experience shows, that the smaller end of tip is outside the pin block after hammering, the more stable the pin is despite the crack.

If you need more can you reapply or not?

CA glue for repairs is death spiral for a pin block. Use Garland’s Pinblock solution. I’ve treated dozens of pianos with excellent results that last for years. CA glue is stinky, toxic to sinus tissues and only ends up closing up the grain making the grip less after a couple of tunings.

Thinking out loud: When it comes to string saving - it might be worth making a special tool to flip the Beckett's out of all the tuning pins once the strings are loosened... On ivory key making good: Have wondered about UV cured material like dental fillings

I was in the piano business for 40 years. We typically used a hygroscopic liquid lije diethylene glycol. The wrest plank in older pianos was sometimes a solid unlaminated plank where a split can cause the problem of loose pins.. I would be curious to know if the glue you applied stuck to the pin or the wood ir both....does the glue pulverize when the pin is turned?

When I restrung my piano, I actually used epoxy and larger pins. It holds a tune VERY well, but, of course, epoxy is thick and you couldn't apply it to tunning pin threads with them still in the block.

I have used CA glue and it is a very Temporary fix. I've seen other products used that swell the pin block fiber. I have witnessed the liquid flowing out of the pin holes onto the action bed of grand pianos and technicians then recommending outrageous humidity levels to maintain the "swelling" of the block/wrest plank. Shivers!! To keep the glue in liquid state and the applicator open, I have used 3" 'pearl topped' sewing pins inserted into the orifices' and then wrapped the contact point with scotch tape. If the bottle becomes stopped up I then will use a "T" pin(again from the sewing supply shop) to re-open it. Best of luck. Oh yes, about 24hrs to hold "Tuned" pins. Remember that the next time you tune you will break the glue seal, again depending on how much shrinkage there may be. You also have less temperature and humidity fluctuations in the UK than here in parts of N. America.

You need to leave it longer than 30 mins. If you come back the next day you will find them holding much firmer.

Don't do this when you want to put new pins to the same old pinblock. It is really hard to drill new holes afterwards.

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I don’t understand how this is supposed to work. If you rotate the pin after the glue has set you will break the glue bond and it will be total good luck not good management if it holds from then on.

а все потому что производителям просто лень внедрять нормальную систему удержания колок. Это же не болты в велосипедном багажнике что бы такие методы использовать! Но нет. Достаточно одного или пара видов удержателей и винтов для тонкой настройки обязательно и пианино будет держать строй лучше. Это тоже самое что сейчас винты обычные использовать как в 18 веке. Сейчас уйма решений и все они доступны. Просто недопустимо, но некоторые товарищи продолжают клепать этими "проверенными" методами. Таких производителей нужно гнать.