Riddle Answer (:)}}

[Avery Todd]

Hey Ed,

   Enjoyed the riddle and reading everyone's responses. I'll have to admit
that the "spring thing" didn't enter my mind and it should have, even
though your problem was slightly different.
   I recently worked on an old Steinway where someone had replaced the
springs and the tail going into the hole was too long thereby binding and
giving a mushy, springy type feel when the key was depressed, especially
slowly.
   Oh well, it was fun. OK, who has the next one?

Avery

>Answer;
>
>        The problem with this action was that the repetition springs were not
>bent up  at the end that is inserted into the hole in the jack.  When the
>jack was in proper position under the knuckle,  the angle of that hole was
>steeper than the approach of the spring, and there was not enough vertical
>clearance,   thus putting a bind on the the very end of the spring.
>
>       This felt like stiff pinning, as the jack would not really snap back
>in place if released from the midway point.  Jim Coleman knew the feeling,
>and a too long spring will often show this exact same problem, however,  I
>looked at the lengths, and they were fine.
>
>       The result was that the jack would return under the knuckle if there
>was no drag at all, but there was no real force applied, as there was a micro
>amount of wood fiber crush going on down below where the spring was bound in
>the hole.  Backing out the jack adjustment screw all the way left the jack
>"floating" in position, without having contact with the spoon.
>
>      Bending the end of the springs up just a little, with brass jawed
>pliars,  solved the problem, and allowed the action to be regulated normally
>with fine results.
>
>Thanks for all that responded, I learned a bit myself, just from getting to
>follow others investigations.

_____________________________________
Avery Todd, RPT
Moores School of Music
University of Houston
713-743-3226
atodd@uh.edu
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