Repairing Hammer Shafts

[PeptoJoe]

I have a 1908 Winters & Co. upright baby-grand piano. (is that considered a
quality piano?) Two of the hammers have broken shafts. They broke
diagonally, along the grain of the wood. Do I need to drill them out and
replace them, or can they be glued? If I can glue them, is there some way
to give them added support?

If you don't mind, could you please email me your replies?

Thanks
PeptoJoe

[ragtimebill]

You can use a plastic soda straw cut to length, slide it over the butt
end of the hammer, glue up the hammer end, jam it in, and align it.
Once the glue dries it is good as new, and the straw has not added so
much mass to the hammer as to be noticible.

-Bill Rowland
Broken Arrow, OK

[PeptoJoe]

Someone was kind enough to email me about this, and some of the info he gave
suggested using wood glue and cotton thread or fishing string. I fixed the
three broken shafts today. While I was working on it I noticed that two or
three other shafts had been repaired that way previously. They seem to be
holding up, and I hope my repairs hold up as well!

Thanks for all the advice.

Joe

Post by ragtimebill
You can use a plastic soda straw cut to length, slide it over the butt
end of the hammer, glue up the hammer end, jam it in, and align it.
Once the glue dries it is good as new, and the straw has not added so
much mass to the hammer as to be noticible.
-Bill Rowland
Broken Arrow, OK