This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Ken=20 I enjoyed your tale immensely but hey buddy have you got too much time me on your hands? Just kidding. Really ,you did get me thinking and I = think I could perhaps attach some generic kind of vibrator to my reg. = bench. Boy would that be handy! but not as therapeutic as your set up. = hmmm Maybe I'll visit goodwill tomorrow. Dale Erwin ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Ken Jankura=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2001 5:29 PM Subject: Decoupler tale Dear List, I always like coming up with ideas to make certain tasks we do as = technicians easier and more efficient, and, if I may, I like to share my = latest with you today. But let me tell you the evolution of my new = technique.=20 We all have to take touchweight measurements on an entire keyboard = from time to time, and what a chore it can be. It's not that the work is = so difficult, but for me it's the stress brought on by what I call 'the = uncertainty factor', that is, knowing how often and how hard to tap the = keybed to break that pesky static friction. The situation reminds me of = that old TV commercial from the 60's, debating whether to use Ex-Lax or = prunes for constipation, and the concerned housewife remarks, "With = prunes I'm never sure, are 2 enough, are 6 too many?" I find myself in a = similar quandary tapping the keybed. Richard Davenport, in the PTJ of = Feb, 1999, used a swinging mallet contraption to tap his action model = experiment in a controlled and repeatable way. He called it the 'static = friction inertia decoupler'. I like to think that I've come up with the = Ex-lax of static friction inertia decouplers; smooth, fast acting, = reliable, and completely safe. I stopped at a yard sale a while back and spied an old game that I = remember from my youth. It's the one where the metal gameboard is a = football field and you set up the little football players on the field, = and then turn it on, and the whole surface vibrates, and the players = move forward (or whichever direction they are facing) and the object is = to strategize and set them up in a way that allows your designated = ball-carrying player to break free and score a touchdown. Anyway, I had = a flash of inspiration when I saw that game, as well as a plunge into = the wellspring of nostalgia, and I thought, "here's my ticket to static = friction inertia decoupling nirvana". Next chance I got, I C-clamped it = to the side of a grand keyframe, set up the players (for fun), and, with = my gram weights at the ready, turned it on. All I can say is 'Wow'. That = gentle vibrating action was just the ticket to keep those keys moving = freely. No tapping guesswork necessary. There were two problems, though. = One was that I kept getting distracted by the game, trying to figure out = strategy for my next play, and two, the vibration seemed to be a little = too strong in the treble where the gameboard was clamped, and not quite = strong enough in the bass. I did consider getting another game and = clamping it to the bass end of the action, but, 1) my regulating table = isn't long enough, 2) I thought it would just add to the problem of = distracting me by trying to play two games at once, and 3) the beat rate = produced by the vibrating oscillations of the two games might throw both = the strategy of the game play and the gentle quality of the static = friction inertia decoupling right out the window. So, back to the = drawing board. At the local Goodwill store, I had another one of those flashes, as = if of inspiration, when I saw a brown naugahyde Barca-lounger with = Magic-Fingers. It was kind of worn out for $50, but what convinced me to = get it was the built-in heater. I purchased it and moved it to my shop = and got to work. I built some brackets and attached them to the = underside of an old table top from an office desk, then I attached the = table top permanently to the arms of the Barca-lounger. You have to = squeeze in from the top or scrunch in from underneath, but once you're = there, buddy, it's the easy seat. I crank up the built-in heater and = start those Magic Fingers, and, I could take touchweight measurements = all day, every day. The chair has two vibration settings, and I use = both, as necessary. If it is an old piano action with flat, crusty, = graphited knuckles, I run it on high. If it's a reconditioned one with = smooth, round, tefloned knuckles, low speed seem to work just fine. Nice = even vibration from bass to treble, no stressful tapping guesswork, and = best of all, the added bemefit of no more nagging backaches. One tip for = those who try this, you will need to put little neoprene washers on the = bottom of your gram weights to keep them from sliding off the key, or, = as I like to think of it, 'getting tackled' :-). So when I'm in my shop = these days, you can find me either honing my set-up strategy on the = electric football game, or relaxing and taking trouble free touchweight = measurements on piano actions. Last week I even gave a discount to = someone whose action came in only for key bushings, just because I knew = I would want to take touchweight measurements for fun, and I would feel = like I had been to the spa afterward. These are the kind of benefits I = like to pass back to the customer, whenever possible. Well, my back feels a little stiff, guess I should go out to the shop = and do a little "work" til I feel better. You all have a great day. =20 Ken Jankura=20 Newburg, PA =20 =20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/e7/39/01/6a/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC