Kimball regulation

[Delwin D Fandrich]

-----Original Message-----
From: JIMRPT@AOL.COM <JIMRPT@AOL.COM>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Wednesday, June 30, 1999 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: Kimball regulation


>
>In a message dated 6/30/1999 4:58:23 PM, fcahill@erols.com writes:
>
><< Other Kimballs have had that thump on let-off. This is the first one to
>behave like this.
>
>It plays, but it does not have the same overall feel that other painos
>have.  >>
>
>Frank;
> I was thinking about this while working on the Knuckles class and maybe
>there is an easy answer.................There was a period of time in the
70s
>when buckshin was literally not available in quantity and a 'lot' of
>manufacturers used "buckskin substitutes" of various descriptions. Kimball
>was among those who resorted to this practice and in some of their cheaper
>pianos used it exclusively until their closing shop.  It could be that this
>console, as I recall the original post, that was made in the late 70s, had
>'butt buckskin ' of this material rather than 'real' buckskin.  The two
>materials do have a different feel. Perhaps this is what you were
>feeling...........
>Just a thought.
>Jim Bryant (FL)

-----------------------------------------

This stuff got kind of a bad rap because it wasn't a "natural" material.
Whatever other qualities piano technicians may or may not have, most of them
are very adept at dismissing anything they perceive to be "un-natural."
Fact is, it can be a fairly good material for piano actions.  One type that
I tested -- I think it was the same material used by Kimball -- was a resin
impregnated woven felt that outlasted buckskin/leather by several times.
The actions using these synthetic materials would typically hold their
regulation better than those using buckskin/leather.

One problem was that they were sensitive to component geometry, i.e., the
contour of the butt/knuckle and the placement and thickness of the butt
underfelt.  But then so are actions using leather/buckskin.  And during the
70's and 80's this was something with which many action manufacturers had
only a passing familiarity.  If an action using this material doesn't "feel"
right I'd be inclined to look at, and blame, sloppy manufacturing and/or
incorrect component geometry.

Regards,

Del