[CAUT] Creepy Creak

[Edward Sambell]

These anecdotal experiences are valuable to us, so thank you. I had one recently 
too. I was tuning for Anton Kuerti, the piano was an unfamiliar Steinway D, in 
excellent shape. He arrived to rehearse, so I left and returned when he was 
through. I had checked everything ,including the pedals, and he told me there 
was a loud knock in the damper pedal. Indeed there was, but only if stamped on. 
He doubted that it could be fixed as it was now close to the doors being opened. 
I withdrew the action, and by pure luck tried the screws in the pivot blocks for 
the damper tray. Both needed half a turn.After the concert I saw him and asked 
him if he noticed the pedal was OK. He said "Yes, and I'm not surprised" (I know 
him well). The lesson is not to just work the pedals, but to treat them 
vigorously

Ted Sambell




________________________________
From: Rob & Helen Goodale <rrg at unlv.nevada.edu>
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Wed, September 29, 2010 10:00:19 PM
Subject: [CAUT] Creepy Creak

 
Creepy Creak -  Not just a stream in  Transylvania
 
I had an interesting bout with a 5 yr old D today.   There was a loud very 
defined creaking noise from the treble side of the  keyboard when using the 
shift pedal.  I thought it was the spring but after  putting some thin felt 
behind it that was eliminated.  Then I thought  the frame was squeaking against 
the key bed so I lubed everything with dry  teflon.  Nope, still there.  Then I 
thought maybe the shift lever  itself.   After tightening everything below and 
lubing the creaking  was still there.  Then I thought maybe the frame itself 
might be  loose.  I tightened all screws on the frame including the action  
bracket screws.  Nope, still there.  By this time I'm getting really  
frustrated.  The creaking is loud and obnoxious and there is a concert  later in 
the evening.  Next I thought maybe it was external.  Perhaps  it's the leg or 
the lyre.  No fault could be found.  Repetitively I  took the action in and out, 
tightening, adjusting, lubing, checking again.   Then on about the 20th time of 
lifting the action out I heard the creak AS  I was handling it.  Good, that 
eliminates the piano, it's IN the action  somewhere.  Almost by accident I found 
it.  It was the strip of wood  glued on the bottom of the frame where the lever 
engages.  It wasn't loose,  in fact it was quite secure.  The problem was the 
end of it where it was  rubbing on the balance rail cross member.  In other 
words, it should never  have been glued tight up against it, a gap should have 
been aloud to prevent  rubbing when flexing from the "push" from the shift 
lever.  With that fixed  it was smooth as silk, but not before taking over an 
hour tracking it  down!
 
Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV

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