Brass rail & new butts

[David ilvedson]

Schaff will replace the brass rails for and I've heard good 
things about them.  They're identical to the old ones.  My butts 
are in OK shape but need some repinning.  Have you read Bill 
Spurlocks article on upright hammers?  He mentions new butts and 
the most important thing in his mind was the buttskin height in 
relation to the top of the jack.  If that is the same a little 
change in the center pin position will be tolerated.  Because 
most flanges are not flat on the bottom he suggested planning? 
the rail to fit the flange bottoms.  Sounds like a big job...

Thanks for your post!

David Ilvedson, RPT




> From:          Bdshull@AOL.COM
> Date:          Mon, 18 Jan 1999 03:16:35 EST
> To:            pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject:       Re: Brass rail & new butts
> Reply-to:      pianotech@ptg.org

> David,
> 
> I am also about to replace a set of brass rail butts - on an old Chickering.
> A few years ago I used the Pratt-Win brass rail butts on an Everett upright I
> rebuilt and the butts were milled too tightly at the centerpin arc - the
> inside cut was not deep enough to clear the brass rail tongue/butt plate.
> Being behind schedule I was able to install them by lightly removing material,
> I believe, from the rail.  However, the quality is only as good as their cost.
> 
> On my Chickering I will replace the brass rail system with a Schwander-type
> butt and flange available from American.  I will set it up with samples and
> see how it performs.   On the Chickering the long catcher type butt seems to
> match up perfectly, but I will still test it.   I have tried other parts and
> they did not perform well at all.   But it seems Chickering set up their brass
> rail actions with the same spread as their Schwander-type actions, and all one
> must do is to install the correct butt and flange and it will perform as well
> as the original brass rail system.
> 
> This is truly a non-profit project, and I wonder why I am doing it - the
> Chickering was $50, looked beautiful (great board, back, cabinet,
> ivories....), but I will still lose my shirt.
> 
> If high quality brass rail butts were available the brass rails could be heat-
> treated and the results would be as good as original for the next 60 years,
> and with less work.
> 
> Good luck!
> 
> Bill Shull
> University of Redlands, La Sierra University
> Loma Linda, CA  
> 
> 
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net