a Baldwin damper noise

[Horace Greeley]

Dear Susan,

I'd suggest looking for the "hidden flaw" of your tag line.

Try moving the damper lifter from side to side.  Too much or
too free a motion may indicate poor pinning or, perhaps, a
broken flange.  What kind of shape are the tabs in?

Remember that dampers are God's gift to piano technicians,
just to teach us humility...

Best.

Horace


At 09:31 PM 4/1/97 -0800, you wrote:
>Dear list --
>
>Stumped. Wisdom needed: what do I look for next?
>
>A good customer's newly rebuilt 1959 Baldwin L has developed a nasty
>wooden-sounding tic on the first note in the tenor section, located
>somewhere in the damper assembly. (It goes away when the right pedal is
>depressed.) The piano has had substantial daily use for about 2-3 months,
>since the rebuild, and this problem is new.
>
>In spite of being apparently damper related, it seemed to get worse when the
>soft pedal was used. Without the right keyblock to limit travel, it seemed
>to get much worse.
>
>When the action is removed, I can make it happen (louder) by slapping up the
>underlever from beneath, by hand. I can make a similar noise on the top note
>of the bass section, the same way, though that note is quiet when the action
>plays the note. None of the neighboring dampers will make the sound.
>
>There was also a small jingle, that I was able to remove by bending the
>wire. This damper head is the one that hangs way forward to avoid the plate,
>and it was juddering quite a bit. The damper head seems firmly attached to
>the wire. Damping is good. The damper screw was firmly tightened. The wire
>was a little chewed up, but smoothing and polishing it made no difference.
>The underlever didn't SEEM to be anywhere near anything else. The damper
>head and wire were visibly not touching anything else, including the
>neighboring damper head. I thought it was clacking against the neighbor by
>coming up crooked (that's the kind of sound it was) but it didn't come
>anywhere near.
>
>The damper upstop rail has fresh felt, and is firmly screwed in place. (at
>the right height.)
>
>So far I haven't taken the underlever out and repinned it. It seems very
>free but not downright sloppy.
>
>I find it suggestive that it is the damper right next to the plate, but
>_what_ it is suggesting is beyond me. It certainly isn't touching the plate
>at any time.
>
>I'm going back within a week or so, to try again. (Never say die.) I'd love
>to have something new to try or look for!
>
>
>Susan Kline
>skline@proaxis.com
>P.O. Box 1651,
>Philomath, OR 97370
>
>
>"Nature favors the hidden flaw."
>
>
>
Horace Greeley

Stanford University
email: hgreeley@leland.stanford.edu
voice mail: 415.725.9062
LiNCS help line: 415.725.4627