Misbehaving Monkey

[David ilvedson]

Fred,

Is it slightly off center of the monkey?  Could the whole 
mechanism being moving more than it should forcing the 
spring if off center to pop off.  I've never seen this problem.  
The spring and monkey must be square, not tipping one way 
or the other.  Is the monkey firmly in the slot on the keyframe? 
Interesting problem...

David Ilvedson, RPT


Date sent:      	Fri, 30 Apr 1999 20:21:07 -0400 (EDT)
From:           	FRED W TREMPER <f.trempe@morehead-st.edu>
To:             	pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Subject:        	Misbehaving Monkey
Send reply to:  	pianotech@ptg.org

> Dear Friends:
> 
> An interesting problem has risen, one I have never seen before.  Perhaps 
> you can offer a solution.  I know what the problem is, but I do not know 
> how to solve it.  Let me explain:
> 
> While tuning a Steinway model D for a concert, I notice that occasionally 
> if not frequently one of the notes, in this case C5, would remain off the 
> string.  By pulling the action forward as far as possible the note would 
> not stick, but sooner or later the problem would reoccur.  I realized 
> that the sostinuto tabs on the dampers were too far forward and were 
> catching on the sostinuto rail.  But why?  I found that the flange on the 
> sostinuto rail was in the upward position (that is, about 9 o'clock when 
> viewed from the bass end).
> 
> I looked around and found that the spring that holds down the sostinuto 
> monkey had slipped out.  The flange on the sostinuto rod then worked its 
> way to about the 9 o'clock position which then caused C5 (and sometimes 
> other notes) to hang up on the flange.
> 
> So much for the problem and the solution.  My question is, Why does the 
> spring slip out?  What can be done to keep it from slipping out?  As you 
> know, the spring should not slip out whether or not the sostinuto pedal 
> is engaged.
> 
> What to do?
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Fred W. Tremper, RPT
> Morehead State University
> Morehead, KY 40351
> f.trempe@morehead-st.edu
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> 


David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net