Need Help Piano Screw

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My mom is having her piano restored by a master pianist.  the thing is about 125 years old.  it apparently came around the cape of South America prior to 1900 before it ended up her on the west coast were her parent bought it for her for a birthday gift.  Now I know nothing about piano's except that that make noise, have a bunch of tightly strung wire inside.  But I was asked to help when the screw holding the sounding board became a problem.  I don't fully understand what is wrong except the end that attaches to the sounding board (big heavy piece of cast plate) broke.  The master pianist who is restoring this thing asked me if I knew how to have this part rebuilt.So I ask you forum members does anybody have any suggestions?  Apparently they would like to have a new one turned from tool steel.  I am in the Reno area so if some one knows a good shop here that would be great!Thank you for reading this.Jim Attached Images
Reply:I'd say contact a couple of shops in the area. and see what they tell you. seems like a pretty straight forward item for someone with a lathe, and a small mill.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:In general that is what is known as a dowel screw.You probably have a couple of options.Search on line for piano parts / repair.Look in the yellow pages for piano stores / repair in your local area. They probably have old pianos that they kept / use for parts. Or they may have the screws new. The big uprights are all about the same.They sell a modern version of it for all sorts of applications, might find something suitable at a good hardware store. Below is a typical pix.Not your lucky day. I have a box of those parts somewhere. All the metal stuff. Smashed up my share of pianos. Just can't put my paws on it at the moment. Can find the hinges, not the rest of it.Should not have to try to make it. Just need to search the right places. Make sure you keep that broken one very secure until you find a replacement. They have a way of wandering off.If push comes to shove, you can start with a lag bolt that has a long shoulder, to machine another. Most of the work is already done, just need to thread the upper part and do some minor machining afterward.There is also one called a hanger bolt that could be used as a starting point. Attached Images
Reply:I would guess that part has been replaced before looks to modern for the period you listed might search for double ended stud. Fastenal ad grainger sell them if you know the thread sizes.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:The other thing to consider is are you decreasing the value by using something more modern in any form???If that is the case, best to repair the original that you have. Snip off the broken part and replace with another similar.We don't see a pix. Hard to visualize where this thing goes. How much do you see once installed???Them purist of any type can be a bit anal. Something very modern and shinny might cause them to cycle a fair amount if you ever tried to sell it. A "Repair" probably is better than a "Replace".Part might be a defective design too. Looks to have weak links. Whatever, I would save this part for the future if not used.
Reply:try looking up American piano supply I used to get my parts from them when I did piano work
Reply:Thanks guys. From what I have been told this screw secures the sounding board.  I don't know for sure if it has been replace or not.  The Piano is my mom, she has had it for a long time, her parents bought it for her when she was young.  For her it isn't a matter of originality, she has no plan of selling it.  She loves to play the thing.  It has been two years in the restoration process as of now and this seems to be the last hang up.  I don't know how this thing was screwed in to place.  Guess I was just wondering if it was a part that could be easily reproduced. Sorry I don't have the slightest clue  how it attaches, am am trying to get some more pictures.Jim
Reply:That looks like an action bracket bolt... but longer.http://www.mypianoshop.com/store/Act...cket-Bolt.html Attached ImagesLast edited by forhire; 11-07-2011 at 09:07 PM.Reason: my first url was filtered
Reply:Originally Posted by forhireThat looks like an action bracket bolt... but longer.http://www.mypianoshop.com/store/Act...cket-Bolt.html
Reply:the plate i keep mentioning is part of the sounding board.  apparently this screw is what spaces the metal plate from the back of the piano.  apparently adjusting this gives the correct sound from what I understand.  I guess the plate  was cracked and had to be welded. it was sent off to a specialty shop were it took two weeks to weld.  From what I gather it took 5 days to slowly preheat the entire plate so that it could be welded and then 5 days to cool it down slowly reducing the temp after being welded.  seems like a lot of gas to burn but apparently there cant be any warping or the whole thing is shot!  the guy restoring it was so worried that he went out and bought a second piano of the same vintage to give my mom just in case he screws up on this one. crazy  i am just happy when i can lay a uniform bead!
Reply:the original looks like it has buttress threads.  but its hard to tell without a closer picture.XMT 350 MPa, w/D52-DTA 185 TSWHarris of
Reply:Since the part has machine threads rather than wood threads, the thread size and form is quite important...and the standards when it was made may have been rather different from now. If this were my project, I'd get a machinist friend or even a shop to copy it, or better yet, to copy another original one from that piano. [That's assuming I didn't have my own lathe, which I do.]Looks like it would take ten or 15 minutes to make one, including the time to find the stock, get a cup of coffee, answer the phone....and also assuming the thread count isn't metric or really odd so not on my quick change. Also assuming the part screws into the cast iron piece, not just going through it and using nuts to engage with.
Reply:my guess is the broken side threaded into a nut. the sholder on the bolt is there to prevent the sounding board from sliding down the bolt and the nut secures the other side. the reason the bolt goes cleanly through the sounding board is because the other side is for adjustment (note the two parrallel flat sides just below the sholder). The bolt needs to be able to rotate within the sounding board and then be able to be tightened in place once the proper spacing has bee achieved. just looks like the nut either got over tightened, or fatigued with age, more likely both.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:You basically need a pix of the piano to have a foggy idea of what you are dealing with. This may be one of those spinets, not one of the big olde uprights that takes 10 men and a boy just to move.He also sezs the plate cracked which is pointing to something different. Them big old ones that rarely if ever happened. Some of the best cast iron on the planet. Rare to even attempt repair of the cast iron in one. Many saying it is impossible. Couldn't break the big ones with a sledge.We don't have enough info. How critical is this thing and exactly what it does??? How it is installed and works??? You need some basic pixs.