damper tray disaster

[Jon Page]

At 12:01 AM 1/26/99 -0500, you 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. toget it shipped to the U.S & by that time the budget the 
>otel allotted for the >job will disappear.

* Have them pay in advance.  Write on the bill "special order parts must be
pre-paid".

 >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?  There isn't much clearance in that
>cavity. The original tray is made out of thinly- vertically laminated pin
blk.
>material(3/8" wide). I could possibly go to 1/2" I suspect.
>Thanks for putting up with such a detailed question.
>-Dan Amihud  RPT
>Westlake Village, Ca.
> 

I take it that the pitman is on the treble end and the bass dampers are
lagging
behind in their lift. It sounds like the tray is not substantial enough for
the
weight
of the dampers, a thicker tray will help.

Also while it's out, check the tension on the assist springs, if they are too
strong
this could cause the problem.

I don't suppose there is a chance of relocating the pitman more towards the
center.

better you than me  :-) 

Jon Page
Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
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A bus station is where a bus stops.  A train station is where a train stops,
                  On my desk, I have a work station.
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