Morino 1 Bass End

[boxplayer4000]

The picture shows the stripped bass end of a Morino 1 (Dated about 1938). Due to air leakage from 1) the pallet leathers, 2) distorted bass reed blocks, 3) distorted bass reed sounding board I had to remove the complete mechanism and gain unrestricted access to the sounding board.
The pallets have been relined, the bass reed blocks planed /sanded flat and a new gasket made. The distorted sounding board I have attempted to straighten by holding/clamping it, for many months, in a custom made clamp and only time will tell if the wood wants to revert to its previous shape.
I am in the process of rebuilding and my question is this. Referring to the picture, the bass and chord spring loaded pallet levers and fixing hinges are shown in position. These were removed to make the above repairs. Can somebody tell me if I need to make a special tool to hold these against the spring pressures while I insert the 7 screws in each hinge or is there a another method. Any advice would be welcome.

 

[artelagro]

Hi Boxplayer, I would be interested to see how the pros do it.
1) I replace all screws loosely then tighten them a fraction at a time making sure each screw takes its share of the load.
2) You say seven screws. Are the spare openings in case one hole gets stripped?
Ca canny
Garth

 

[JIM D.]

Not sure if this helps you, but in a similar procedure i would remove the pallets, remove the wax, position the pallets in place, attach springs, and then re-wax the pallets in place.

 

[boxplayer4000]

Thanks to Garth and Jim D for suggestions.
I haven't explained my problem well enough. The pallet arms are attached to the metal hinges which in turn are fixed to the wooden sounding board each with seven 6mm cheese/round head brass screws. Each pallet arm has a spring and when fixing the hinge back in place it is necessary to twist the hinge and fight against the 12 springs to get the hinge lying on the same plane as the pallet arms. This sounds trivial but the hinge does not allow much of a grip while at the same time fiddling with a 6mm screw. I'm well versed in small, fiddly, parts in awkward situations but this is something new to me.
However the situation has moved on since my first post. Firstly I made a small metal lever with a fold on one end which fits over the hinge and allows easier control of the hinge while 'fighting' against the springs. I had already noticed that the wood in this 78 year old instrument had dried out a bit (hence my original problems with air leaks) and when I came to replace the hinge screws and had 4 of the 7 fitted the force of the springs was enough to dislodge and pull the screws out.
Plan B is to replace 3 of the 7 screws with threaded steel nuts and bolts (2mm dia.) Fortunately there is room on the other side of the sounding board, beside the reed blocks for the bolt heads.
Any comments on this procedure are welcome.

 

[donn]

I'm no whiz at such things, but I'd prefer screws to nuts & bolts in something like this, just because nuts work loose, screws don't. If it was good wood and it isn't even 100 years old, I think you could reasonably expect to be in good shape - dry can make wood shrink, but it should retain its strength or increase it. But I don't even qualify as an amateur, so take it for what it's worth!