[CAUT] upright action

[Fred Sturm]

On 11/24/05 12:40 PM, "Leslie Bartlett" <l-bartlett@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> A few questions, one of which may rouse a bit of flame, but I'm getting
> desperate.......  I got stuck with rebuilding a 100 year old S&C upright,
> and don't actually have a shop.....  The stringing and key-work has been
> sent out, but I'm left with the action.
> 
> 1. Is there any reason NOT to hang bass hammers before I have the piano back
> from restringing?  I have two samples already hung. Treble hammers look
> pretty decent.
> 
No reason at all. Care must always be taken to hang the hammers parallel,
and square to the strings on strike. If the sample hammers are correct,
hammer hung carefully to them will be correct also. One method that works
well for me is to hang a hammer in the middle first. Measure from molding
edge of each sample hammer to molding edge of the new hammer (same edge of
each hammer: left to left, or right to right). Match those measurements for
distance between crown edge and crown edge (again, left to left or right to
right. Not the distance between the hammers, or irregularities in boring
centering will cause problems). You can then do the same to set a hammer
between the midway hammer and each of the two samples. Then fill in (or
repeat the in between process and only then fill in, as seems best).
     The best way to fine check for "square," which really needs to happen
after all hammers are hung, is to center the crown of a hammer between its
two adjacent hammers (using the flange screw to adjust spacing). Then push
the hammer towards the string (or, if the piano isn't available, in the
direction of the phantom string). When the hammer is at strike position, the
hammershank should be centered between those two adjacent crowns. If not,
burn the shank (heat shank and twist hammer head) to correct. It may be
easier to intuit which way to twist by centering the hammer shank between
its neighbors' crowns at strike position with the flange screw, then return
it to rest position and check. (Caveat: this assumes a good boring job, with
holes centered in the hammer molding. If this is not the case, you have to
make allowances for which way the hole is shifted).
    There is a tendency when hanging hammers "in the piano" to align the
crown so that it will hit the strings, and ignore whether the hammers are
actually hung squarely.  I'd just as soon keep the piano out of the picture
so it doesn't mislead me.

> 2. If, after attempting to align strings to hammers, a few are still not
> "perfect" is it sort of legit to use heated shank bending pliars to align?
> I don't think anything would have to move more than an eighth of an inch.
> 
    I don't have any problem with that, but I'd try other possibilities
first. First, space with the flange screw. There is enough slop between
screw and flange hole to shift a flange a fair amount in one direction or
other (sometimes it is necessary to use a screwdriver blade between to
flanges to make this happen, especially on old pianos where the flanges get
a bit stuck to the rail). A certain amount of angling of the flange is
usually possible as well, though not too much or it will tend not to stay
where you put it. Some travel paper under one side of the very bottom of the
flange can be helpful when you need to angle the flange more than it will
want to stay. The other thing to watch for is a possible bent centerpin.
That can result in a hammer that is out of kilter, and that can't be shifted
enough using the flange.
    But there is no reason why bending the shank won't work - it was an old
factory technique. Watch the heat level so you don't create charcoal.
Without due care you can weaken or break the shank, and if not enough time
and heat are used, it will not be permanent. Somewhere between those
extremes <g>.

> 3. Is the old gummy paper tape, for traveling, still available?
> 
I got a roll of that tape from a drug store not too long ago. It's still
around, though not as common as it used to be. For traveling, though, my own
preference is for strips of sticky, pre-gummed material like address labels
or self-stick stamps. Faster, more convenient to my mind. Some don't like it
for one reason or another. I've never had a problem, after using it for well
over ten years.
> 
> Thanks
> les bartlett

Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico