Lowell guage

[David Love]

Along these lines, I'm redoing a Schomacker grand with individual aliquots
(similar to MH) through the tenor and treble.  At the moment they do not
seemed to be tuned.  Are they meant to be?  Or are they designed to adjust
the rear bearing?  Given a choice, or let's say an alternative, of using
them to tune the rear duplex or adjust the rear bearing, which would you
give more weight to.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl Meyer" <cmpiano@attbi.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: December 29, 2001 8:11 PM
Subject: Re: Lowell guage


> Ron, I'm asking you this question since you are largely responsible for
> encouraging me to get carried away (according to some) in modifying this
> Emerson piano for the vertical hitch pins.  I saved this post about the
> Lowell gauge.
>
> My plans are to string the plain wires, bring it up to about one step flat
> and then adjust the down bearing.  What angle in the different sections
> should I shoot for under those conditions?
> It's easier to adjust before installing the bass strings.  Then I'll
string
> the bass and do likewise.
>
>  Your recommendations and comments welcomed.  Thanks.
>
> Carl Meyer  Assoc. PTG
> Santa Clara, California
> cmpiano@attbi.com
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ron Nossaman" <RNossaman@KSCABLE.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Friday, October 12, 2001 3:22 PM
> Subject: Re: Lowell guage
>
>
> > >Hi list,
> > > Does anyone still have the original lowell downbearing gauge
> > >instructions ,  that tell what the scale markings are supposed to be
> > >calibrated to?    For fun I went to the Baldwin class at Sparks and the
> > >Baldwin people disagreed with Mr. Lowell as to the actual degrees that
> > >the bubble markings corresponded to.  But I can't find my notes,
> > >soooooo...............
> > >
> > >Thanks
> > >
> > >Dale Fox
> >
> >
> >
> > Here you go Dale, Tom sent me this some time back.
> >
> >
> > In brief, the thousandths of an inch quantities represented by the
linear
> > increments (division lines) on the gauge are the rise or fall (vertical
> > dimension) per inch of length of piano string. So, to give an example,
if
> > your rear string length
> > was 3" and your gauge measurement was .009", then the difference in
> elevation
> > between the top of the bridge (a reference at zero), and the rear string
> > rest would be 3" x .009" or .027". Very simple math. These dimensions
can
> > be converted to degrees of angle by multiplying 1/6 degree times the
> number
> > of division lines the bubble has crossed. Crossing six division lines
> would
> > mean 1 full degree of string angle. More simple math. To determine the
> lbs.
> > pressure
> > from the net downbearing measurement multiply the net bearing in
> thousandths
> > of an inch by the tension of the string. For example, a string of 200
lbs
> > tension, deflected by the bridge so that a net downbearing measurement
of
> > .018" (1 degree) is created, will produce a downbearing pressure of 3.6
> lbs.
> > (200 x .018). More simple math. Incidentally, the bridge is pushing up
at
> > the string 3.6 lbs. at the same time the string is pushing down on the
> bridge,
> > thus creating a static equilibrium, like a depressed spring. An
> > understanding of trigonometry is unnecessary, but can't hurt anyone.
> >
> >
> > Ron N
>
>