CAPSTANDAN@AOL.COM wrote: > Dear list, > I've been servicing a 1985 Young Chang concert grand which has a player mech. > installed (it's inside a hotel's lobby). The dampers - starting at about the > break between the tenor & the bass sections are gradually lifting very little to > not > lifting at all (in the mid to lower bass. A colleague tech. (who originally > installed the player), tried to reinforce the tray by attaching an angle iron > to the bottom of it all the way across, but it didn't make any difference - > the tray appears to bow each time the sustain pedal is depressed. I called > Young Chang- trying to get a new ALUMINUM tray but they informed me -it takes > 3-4 mos. to > get it shipped to the U.S & by that time the budget the hotel allotted for the > job will disappear. I did check the flanges which allow the tray to "swing " > up & down, & they seem fine. Young Chang is sending me another wooden tray at > my request. <By the way, the action is a Renner action> > Got any ideas to "beef" up the new tray? <snip> I realize you mention that an attempt was made to reinforce the current tray with angle-iron, but may I suggest a different approach to the same idea.... To begin with I would NOT use iron since this material is very heavy. This will add substantial weight to the damper lift, not only making the pedal heavy during regular playing but also giving the player pedal solenoid an unneccessary workout. I do, however beleive that this reinforcement idea may be the answer. I would suggest using *aluminum* angle material. My thoughts are as follows: 1. Remove the tray completely from the piano. 2. Using a router to create a recessed channel (bottom and lower sides) across front AND the back of the tray the same depth as the thickness of the aluminum angle material. (this could also be done using a table saw). 3. Drill countersunk holes across the aluminum at regular intervals, (every 3 or 5 inches for example), along both 9O degree sides. Stagger the holes so that each set is not in the same location. 4. Insert the aluminum into the channel so that it it is now flush all the way across, bottom and sides. With pre-drilled holes in the tray, screw the angled aluminum down tightly. If you are interpreting my idea correctly, you should now have two pieces of 90 degree angled aluminum flushly mounted to the front and back of the bottom of the damper tray. With *two* pieces front and back tightly secured in a cut slot it would seem to me that this should do a good job at preventing a bow in the middle. If it still has a slight bowing effect I might suggest installing a third angle piece through the middle by cutting a slot with a table saw the depth and width of one side of the angled material. Then use the router idea mentioned above to make the other exposed portion flush. This technique would not effect the original dimensions of the tray since all angled pieces are securly inlayed flush. Hope this idea sounds do-able. Good luck. Rob Goodale, RPT
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