weekend puzzler????

[Brian Trout]

Actually, I did think of one other thing that wouldn't really surprise me.

If previous techs had taken the pelican springs from each of the two left
pedals at some point in previous years and just 'switched' it with the right
pedal spring which was in the process of breaking, (you've seen 'em.
They're cracked and will eventually break, but haven't gone all the way
yet... and who has one when you need it??...) on two previous service calls,
that would leave two very weak springs which would 'appear' to be quite
normal until they finally did just fall in two.

Probably not it, but it wouldn't surprise me!  If they actually fell apart
while being 'jiggled about' in a move, that might explain why it showed up
after moving.  ???

Brian Trout

-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Trout <btrout@desupernet.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Saturday, June 26, 1999 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: weekend puzzler????


>I do so enjoy a good puzzler!
>
>Well, you say that the bottom board was undamaged.  My first inclination
was
>to think that the pelican springs had come loose from the bottom board.
>Apparently, that wasn't it, because that could imply that damage had taken
>place, and would be pretty obvious to see.
>
>You didn't make mention of whether you had seen this piano before, and
>whether they worked before. ??
>
>If the pedal rods were reversed, I would see why they might not operate
>correctly, but that wouldn't explain why they would be very slow to return
>to their resting positions.
>
>If the kick board was pushed in farther than it was supposed to be, I could
>see how that may cause a problem with something rubbing against it, and
>subsequently against something else, but it seems that something that
>blatant would have been making obnoxious noises, and not a particularly
>difficult one to see.
>
>I'm wondering if somewhere along the line, for who knows what reason,
>someone installed those pelican springs _backwards_.?  If they weren't
>particularly strong, I could see how that would cause very slow return on
>the pedals.  The hammer rail would have some weight, but probably not
enough
>to bring it back to rest.(comes back about halfway?)  There would be a
whole
>section of damper springs working to bring back the bass sustain pedal to
>rest, so they might have at least a fighting chance to bring that pedal
back
>up.  Since it was the two left pedals involved, it could have been that way
>for a very long time, perhaps since new.  Most players only use the right
>pedal anyway.  We don't know the history.?  The part about recently being
>moved puzzles me a bit, unless perhaps it was damaged in the move, and
>repaired by the customer before  Jim the piano guy arrived...???  Or
perhaps
>it recently being moved means that you hadn't seen the piano before???
Just
>having the piano moved could have caused the hammer rail to jump off the
rod
>pin and be sitting on the end of the pin, but that wouldn't explain slow.
>It also wouldn't explain what was wrong with the bass damper pedal.  I'm
>reaching!...
>
>There's a guess for you!
>
>Interesting!  Thanks for the challenge!  When do we find out what it
was????
>:-)
>
>Brian Trout
>Quarryville, Pa.
>btrout@desupernet.net
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: JIMRPT@AOL.COM <JIMRPT@AOL.COM>
>To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Date: Saturday, June 26, 1999 9:23 AM
>Subject: weekend puzzler????
>
>
>>I tuned a Kimball console yesterday........ from the late 70's-early 80's.
>> Every thing worked just fine......except for the 'soft pedal' and the
>'bass
>>sustain'.
>>
>>  Both pedals worked, after a fashion, and on the down stroke they seemed
>>just fine.............however they were very slow in coming to rest upon
>>release....and the hammer rail would stay in about the mid travel
position.
>>
>>What was wrong?  (hint: piano had recently been moved)
>>Jim Bryant (FL)
>>
>
>