very tight cover plate, hard to remove

[kkmm]

Occasionally, I ran into a mandolin with a cover plate really hard to remove.
Sometimes, I have to knock it out a bit with some tool, carefully not damaging the top. Then use a flat screw driver as a lever to pull it out. Of course, sliding it back in is also a tough job.

Does anyone have a recommendation as to how to fix the cover plate to it's is not way too tight ? I have used hammer tapping on the side of the cover plate to open it up a little, but there may be better method I could learn.

[UsuallyPickin]

The shape of the metal needs to be slightly changed. Duh I know .... Compressing the part that is mounted on the mandolin is possible but it is very easy to change the shape too much. Then you have a too loose problem. You can mask the face of the mandolin with tape and or thin cardboard. Compress the bracket with a small "C" clamp. A thirty second of an inch will be too much. Truth to tell I would just leave it alone and it will eventually wear in and fit well. It is a hassle as it is no doubt but if you leave the cover off you will eventually lose it and if it is too loose you will lose it that way. I'd only do it if a customer asked me to . I would read them the whole riot act on the negative outcome possibility. Or sell them a different type of tailpiece. Luck.. R/

[Jim]

Losing the cover does pretty much solve the problem.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I had exactly the same problem with the only 'standard' style tailpiece i've ever had,the one on my very first mandolin,a Michael Kelly.
After messing around trying to loosen it up,i removed the strings & took the whole thing off before i rammed a screwdriver through the top. It didn't really help.The t/piece was total rubbish & so i replaced it with an Allen 'cast' t/piece = no loose/tight parts & nothing to rattle or buzz. The standard style t/pieces can be a real pain unless the t/piece & the cover are well matched for fitment.
It's no great wonder that the James t/pieces are fitted by many top builders these days,
Ivan

[kkmm]

Thanks for the inputs, I will try to loosen up the cover first by some means. For example:
1) file the sides of the cover (from inside)
2) use a hammer to bend out the sides a little bit
I dare not touch the tail piece where the strings are hooked to as it is still on the mandolin top, there is danger of damaging it with a small mistake on my apart.

I am aware of the "too loose" cover plate. I had one and simply use the hammer to make it fit better.

[sblock]

No, don't file, and don't hammer. You can often solve this problem not with bending, but with just a bit of lubrication. Use a drop or two of Tri-Flo lubricant (silicone, non-greasy) or some graphite powder on the inner side surfaces on either edge of the cover plate. Remove any excess. Presto! The cover slides on and off more easily, with just a bit of hand pressure.

[stevedenver]

or, I have had great luck grabbing it along the edges with a small towel. This adds a bit of leverage and allows 'death grip' without damage to hand or instrument.

theres no need to alter in any way, the TP or its base.
graphite powder is the next best, easy to safely apply, cannot harm nitro, poly, or varnish, easy to remove.

[EdHanrahan]

Yeah but, there's a "ground rule" that hasn't been mentioned here:

A typical and "proper" tailpiece cover slides on & off from the butt end of the mandolin. These have the sidewalls bent in just enough to interlock with the base's sidewalls that are bent outward just a bit, providing just enough friction to hold the cover on.

Some of the newer & cheapest ones are not nearly so "proper", having all sidewalls bent at a 90 degree angle. These are held on by friction only, LOTS of friction, with zero chance of sliding off the butt end. I suspect that most folks here, thankfully, have never seen these, but I have one on a Carlo Robelli (Sam Ash house brand) low-end special.

I used most of the methods noted above (cushion, tap, pry; bend, file, lubricate) until it got loose enough to simply press into place. Yes it is far from ideal, and a better solution would be a replacement.

[Steevarino]

I go through quite a few tailpieces with new builds, repair, etc. I have found that the fit between the cover and the base sometimes leaves a bit to be desired, even fresh out of the box. I tackle it one of two (or both) of these ways...

If it's not too much trouble to remove the tailpiece, and if the fit is too tight, I put the base in a bench vise, and (gently) squeeze the top edges so they are a bit closer to each other. Just a little bit, then test for a good friction fit on the cover. If you go too far, you can tap it back in the other direction. The other way, if you want to open the cover a bit, is to put it on the edge of the flat spot on the back of most bench vises, and (once again, gently) tap the outer sides of the cover to open them up a bit. Or, you can put either edge in the vise, and gently pull up on the tailpiece cover to get a more open fit. Either way has worked well for me. Just go a little bit at a time, teting often for the desired fit.

The nice thing about squeezing the base a little bit is that you can sort of "taper" the fit. You can squeeze the back (end pin) end so that it is ever-so-slightly looser, so that the cover will slide on easier at first, yet you can still get a good snug fit when you press it all the way in place.

As with all things, YMMV, but these methods have worked well for me.

[MikeEdgerton]

I've never had one I couldn't slide back by simply putting a coin on the end of my finger (between my finger and the tailpiece cover edge) and pulling backwards towards the endpin. I'm going to guess I've seen more than most and maybe not as many as a few but it always works even if it's corroded.

[mandroid]

I own some very nice pliers.

[DHopkins]

No, don't file, and don't hammer. You can often solve this problem not with bending, but with just a bit of lubrication. Use a drop or two of Tri-Flo lubricant (silicone, non-greasy)........

I believe Tri-Flow is a form of Teflon.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Mike E. - "I've never had one I couldn't slide back by simply putting a coin on the end of my finger (between my finger and the tailpiece cover edge) and pulling backwards towards the endpin...". Mike,you've never experienced one like the t/piece on my Michael Kelly,my first mandolin. It was imoveable until i took off the strings,removed it,stuck it in a vice & yanked at it with the largest pair of 'Mole' grips i had. I got it off & worked on it until i got the cover to fit ok.I put it back on & re-strung it,but that was enough for me.I bought an Allen cast t/piece = no cover hang on like grim death or to slip,slide or rattle. Problem solved, & it looked better (to me) as well. Some 'tin' tailpieces simply won't work (IMHO),
Ivan

[MikeEdgerton]

Ivan, I'll stay with it. I've never had one that I couldn't get off that way, old, new, expensive or cheap. It's all in the mechanics of the thing. It went together, it will come apart. I cringe when I read about people using pliers and screw drivers. I've seen a few that were tougher than others but doing it my way they always slide. I should just do a video of how to do this.

[Willie Poole]

Once you get the cover off take a pair of pliers and open the angled sides a tad on the top and it will slide a lot easier.....I still have those tail pieces on all of my mandolins and not a one is a problem since I have "adjusted" them...As stated above, go slow and do a little at a time and test it after each bend.....I don`t find it a hard thing to do myself....Now getting one off is a different story if it didn`t fit correctly at the get go....

[pops1]

I will Bend yes bend the sides to make it easier to go on and off, i have a needle nose pliers with no teeth so no marring. Usually i have the very last 1/8" bent slightly tighter to keep it on and then the rest to not cause so much friction to come off hard. Bought the pliers to adjust my glasses, but they have been very useful for lots of other things too, like this.

[kkmm]

I finally figured out a simple method and used it on some of my mandolins that have tight cover plate.
In order to bend the side, I simply use the table vise to grip only one side (the entire length of the side), then hand lift the plate just a tiny bit, repeat for other side.
This works like a champ. The first time, the sides open too much, I use the vise again, this time open wide to grip the cover plate by both sides, then squeeze in a bit.
This method leaves no dents at all.

[pops1]

I finally figured out a simple method and used it on some of my mandolins that have tight cover plate.
In order to bend the side, I simply use the table vise to grip only one side (the entire length of the side), then hand lift the plate just a tiny bit, repeat for other side.
This works like a champ. The first time, the sides open too much, I use the vise again, this time open wide to grip the cover plate by both sides, then squeeze in a bit.
This method leaves no dents at all.

I also bend the whole side at once, just with needle nose pliers. No dents either.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Mike - I fully understand your view,but,the MK tailpiece was bent all over the place & the sliding cover literally wouldn't slide. The top cover was bent almost like a 'dovetail' as the sides weren't even parallel. I removed it from the mandolin so as not to damage it & then removed the top with a pair of mole grips. I even had to prise the sides apart with a screwdriver in order to do that. It was simply very,very badly made. There's always 'the' one that defies our ingenuity,
Ivan