Blocked action

[Rick.Florence@ASU.Edu]

>I have a Howard grand about 6 yrs old that a client moved from Calif. to
>Nashville.  In the course of the move, something happened to the action
>either during the move or when the movers set it up here.  I tried to remove
>it to do some work on the dampers but the treble end will not budge.  Bass
>end is okay but the treble is blocked.  I removed a screw from the lyre
>thinking that perhaps the movers inserted a leg screw by mistake and that it
>had penetrated the keyframe, thus blocking the action.  However, it is a
>machine screw about 4" long and 3/8" in diameter and did not cause it.  The
>only thing I didn't do was to remove the lyre and re-attach it. The soft
>pedal will not work since the action won't move.  Other two function as they
>should.  Any ideas? I consulted with a couple RPTs here and they had no
>suggestions other than the one I tried.

Check out the bolts on the treble leg.  This piano may have longer bolts in
either the back leg or the lyre.  Sometimes movers will mix up bolts/screws
and put a long one in the front legs.  When this happens the bolt may go up
through the keybed and push up on the bottom of the action.

----
Rick Florence, Piano Technician
 Arizona State University School of Music
 Rick.Florence@ASU.Edu