Sticking Steinway dampers

[Lance Lafargue]

Mike,
I do find this problem, too.  I believe it is humidity/moisture content
change in the damper guiderail/bushings.  Have you tried easing the
guiderail with a damper easing tool?  That is less time consuming than your
other solutions.  I usually do that (you have to have one of the thin/slim
tools, some are too wide/thick), then if I have to, I take all dampers out
and ease the bushings with methanol/water using bridge pins as sizing
cauls.  

I have also found sluggish underlevers.  Lots of humidity here!!  

Lance Lafargue, RPT
New Orleans Chapter
Covington, LA.
lafargue@iamerica.net

----------
> From: Mike Musial <mmusial@acsworld.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Sticking Steinway dampers
> Date: Friday, July 17, 1998 8:44 AM
> 
> Hello List
> 
> I am experiencing a recurring problem when I tune newer Steinway grands.
> Sometimes when I apply a test blow while tuning, the damper (usually
> tenor/treble) will "hang" and not return to the string unless I tap it
back
> down with my finger. From that point on, the damper seems to work fine
until
> that note is played ff or louder, then it hangs again. In most instances
I
> believe this hanging damper problem was not evident until I applied the
test
> blow. 
> I believe that the offending damper wires were initially rubbing against
the
> guide rail bushing, but not hard enough to be affected by the friction.
When
> I apply my test blow the damper wire bends somewhere along its length
> causing it to move deeper into the side of the bushing causing excessive
> friction, resulting in the hanging problem. Many times this hanging can
be
> fixed by applying a VERY light film of protek on the damper wire itself
(not
> the bushing). It seems more often than not, I must remove the offending
> damper and rebend the wire to allow it to move in the bushing freely.
Once I
> do this the problem does not appear again. 
> 
> The real frustration here is when it is a relatively new piano being
rented
> for a performance. I need to apply those test blows, but am always afraid
> they may set off a hanging damper, the repair of which seriously cuts
into
> my allotted tuning time.
> 
> Is this a common problem others have experienced? If not, I guess I must
be
> forced to assume my test blows are applied a bit too enthusiastically,
which
> I do not believe to be the case. 
> 
> Mike Musial RPT
> Reedsville Pa
>