Rippen Repair

[Barrie Heaton]

Dear Debra,

First of all you have my sympathies,  have about eight of thse on my
round mainly under the brand name of Linder.  The problem with the parts
is they are nylon and after a period the nylon goes brittle and they
shatter, you can use CA glue quite successfully on them.  Key springs
are the most common failure.  There are a few Companies in England who
specialise in making conversion kits for these little monsters but as
most of the pianos are of 70's or earlier generally speaking they are
not worth the trouble.

Things to consider if you have to change a string the tuning pins turn
the oposite way,  for the pin to come out.  So if you remove the pin
completely pack the hole and replace the pin or put  a new pin in.
drive the pin in so the coils are touching the plank, pull it up to
pitch,   the coils will move away from the plank.  as you are pulling up
to pitch the pin is moving out.

Non of the U.K. or European supply houses,  supply new parts I bvelieve
some carry a stock of second hand parts.   You are as well finding an
old scdrper and use that for parts.   Technicians over here tend to use
centre pin lubricant rather than re-centre.  Personally speaking this is
one piano I would difinitely use lubricant without removing the parts if
I could.  That difinitely goes aginst the grain with me normal but these
are not normal pianos.  Have fun.

Barrie.


In article <970408192142_547299887@emout04.mail.aol.com>, DLLegg@aol.com
writes
>Hello all,
>
>I have the "pleasure" of having the action from a Rippen console in the shop
>for repairs.  My question to those of you who have worked on these "all"
>plastic actions concerns removal of the flanges from the rails.  The flanges
>are press fitted into the aluminum channel rails.  Each flange is kept in
>place using pressure from a flat steel spring.  I have cautiously removed two
>of the dampers that needed the damper spring replaced and reinserted them in
>the rail.  I now need to remove approximately 30 of the hammer flanges for
>repinning.  Is there an easier way to accomplish this, with less chance of
>damage, other than gently prying?
>
>My next question relates to the above wording - "less chance of damage".  If
>indeed some of these flanges do break during removal/insertion, does anyone
>know of a supplier that carries plastic parts for Rippens (most likely a
>European supply house)?  Also, I need to find a pair of pedals (very
>non-conventional) or I will have to have them fabricated at a local machine
>shop.
>
>Thank you in advance.  I will be out of town for a couple days and look
>forward to any replies when I return.
>
>Debra Legg
>Dunedin, FL
>
>
>





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Barrie Heaton                                  |  Be Environmentally Friendly
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