[CAUT] Touchweight, etc.

[Bob Hull]

The posts on touchweight are informative and
appreciated.  Jim Ellis has pointed to very
foundational matters which cannot be skipped in the
rush to improve "important" problems that appeal to
the high tech.  I agree, friction will cloud the
picture if not dealt with first.

I did not include friction numbers in the data because
I listed D and U from which friction can be derived. 
I am looking and testing for friction in keys, action
centers, alignment etc. and working to solve any
issues there before other measurements are taking. 
However, I did take a few sample readings before a
thorough investigation into friction was done. 

Chris Solliday's post on matching SW to the ratio
makes good sense.  If an action doesn't have the
leverage to lift a particular weight then problems
will result.  This will not only affect touch but also
tone and projection.  

Bob Hull

--- Chris Solliday <solliday@ptd.net> wrote:

> Jim is right on here Bob, geometry first, then
> friction, then touchweight is
> the effective order of events but nevertheless I
> stand by my last post that
> the biggest bang for the buck in this type of work
> will be in marrying the
> strike weight to the ratio.  Chris Solliday
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "James Ellis" <claviers@nxs.net>
> To: <caut@ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2005 4:05 PM
> Subject: [CAUT] Touchweight, etc.
> 
> 
> > I have been reading some recent posts on
> touchweight and related subjects,
> > and I detect much confusion that would be
> impossible for me to clear up in
> > a single post on this list.  I'll just make a few
> general statements.
> >
> > In Bob Hull's latest post, his measurements
> indicate reasonably even
> strike
> > weight, although it might be a tiny bit heavy in
> the high treble.
> > Down-weight, up-weight, and balance-weight are all
> over the map.  I don't
> > see a column of numbers for the friction
> component, but I suspect that's
> > where the problem is.
> >
> > Here's how I do it:
> >
> > I deal with the friction first.  Keys first,
> absolutely, before anything
> > else, then the various action centers.  There is
> no sense fretting with
> > action centers if the keys are binding.  To do a
> thorough job checking the
> > keys, the stack must of off.  You will find things
> you can't find if the
> > stack is on.  After you have the keys all in good
> shape, deal with the
> > action centers.  Don't overlook mundane things
> like rep levers rubbing on
> > adjacent knuckles, and stuff like that.
> >
> > If the hammer weight taper it reasonably even, the
> strike weight will be
> > also.  If that's the case, and unless someone has
> been messing with the
> > action geometry, and it looks to be in order, I
> weigh off for balance
> > weight, with perhaps a little give and take here
> and there if there is
> > reason to do so.  Friction will go up and down as
> the relative humidity
> > changes, and so will down-weight and up-weight,
> but balance-weight will
> > stay the same.
> >
> > If the friction component is fairly even; if the
> strike weight taper is
> > smooth, and if the action geomerty has not been
> screwed up, the other
> > measurements will fall right into place.
> >
> > Unfortunately, I find cases where capstans have
> been moved around, and
> > other things done to the action, when that was not
> the problem in the
> first
> > place.  It's very doubtful that an S&S D has the
> capstans in the wrong
> > place, but if that is the case, it's a major
> problem.  Being poorly
> aligned
> > with wippen heels is more common.  I would do some
> very careful checking
> > before I started messing with the action geometry
> of a premium-quality
> > grand, but I would do it, and have done it, when I
> have found such a
> > problem - which isn't very often.
> >
> > More often than not, the problems I find are those
> that come from the fact
> > that somewhere along they way - at the factory or
> somewhere else - someone
> > did a weigh-off while uneven frection was still
> present.  When that
> > happens, you may end up with fairly even
> down-weight, but everything else
> > will be all over the map.
> >
> > That's the way I do it, and unless someone has
> screwed up the action
> > geometry, or it was flawed in the first palce, it
> works every time.
> >
> > Sincerely, Jim Ellis
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > caut list info:
> https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> >
> >
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 


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