loose accompaniment pins

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Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

loose accompaniment pins

Post by Rudy Mueller »

The F. Seith zither refinished here did have two accompaniment pins (eb, bb) which did not hold the tension required for proper tuning.

Somewhere on this site are suggested repairs: remove the pin and insert either (a) one strand of hair, or (b) one small wood chip.

One of the shop tools used by cabinet makers here in the U.S. is a "biscuit cutter" a power tool for cutting adjoining slots in pieces of wood to be permanently joined. A biscuit, or thin piece of wood is inserted into the slot, along with glue, and once the glue is set, the pieces are virtually inseparable. The biscuit cutter is a "high speed" device, and the shavings it produces are not unlike coarse human hair.

Two strands of shaving were inserted into each of the two problematic pin holes, the pins re-inserted and re-strung. The pins now hold the required tension, yet are still turnable and functional.

Rudi Mueller
kenbloom
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Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 11:50 am
Location: Pilot Mountain, NC
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Re: loose accompaniment pins

Post by kenbloom »

HI Rudi,

I have had this same problem in the past and solved it in a similar way. I keep some mahogany veneer in my zither case. A sliver of that in the offending pin hole has always done the job. Mahogany is a "soft" hardwood. A sliver will have some compressability and still fill the hole enough to make the pin easy to tune and secure. No tools needed. I take a sliver that is longer than the hole is deep. Once I have the pin back in to the required depth, I can just break off the excess and the repair is invisible. This has not only worked well on my zithers but on my banduras as well.

Ken Bloom
Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

Re: loose accompaniment pins

Post by Rudy Mueller »

After two months of playing, both formerly problematic accompaniment strings hold their tune quite well. More surprising is the crystal clear, almost bell like, overall tonal quality of this instrument, all strings and ranges. What a gem! Construction of a case is underway.

The back will be left raw, au natural. The bottom side of the instrument remains "clear" and unstained, sealed or treated. Unlike my father and his Förg, this F. Seith beauty will not be set down on a cigar....(my father's zither partner was Paul Ederegger, an inveterate cigar smoker). The re-finish on the top of the F. Seith remains stellar. I may yet strip the bottom of his old Förg, maybe even take another look at its top.

Gaufest in Milwaukee this weekend...company from Germany until September...

Gut Klang!

Rudi
Rudy Mueller
Posts: 603
Joined: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:33 am
Location: Grafton WI 53024 RMUELLERMKE@GMAIL.COM

Re: loose accompaniment pins

Post by Rudy Mueller »

F Seith (Small).jpg
F Seith (Small).jpg (22.24 KiB) Viewed 1168 times
Before and After Pictures:

The original top surface of the F. Seith was severely pitted and "scaley", and can be seen in the first two pictures. The final surface was almost mirror like, as can be seen in the last two.

Rudi
Attachments
seith 007 (Small).jpg
seith 007 (Small).jpg (47.17 KiB) Viewed 1168 times
seith 005 (Small).jpg
seith 005 (Small).jpg (48.33 KiB) Viewed 1168 times
seith 002 (Small).jpg
seith 002 (Small).jpg (46.25 KiB) Viewed 1168 times
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