S&S center pinning/ was Re: Don't SAY IT ALL!!!!!

[David Love]

"Heet", or fuel line deicer is the same thing as methanol which the S&S
people recommend for the problem.  Nasty stuff.  I have found that regular
isopropyl alcohol and water 50/50 will work but don't use a heat gun or you
will get excessive and uneven shrinkage.  Just let it dry overnight.
Reapply if necessary.  I recently put on a set of NY improved wippens (with
Abel shanks) and the pinning on the flanges and jacks seemed fine.  Bit of a
problem centering the jacks in the balancier, but nothing that couldn't be
straightened.  I though I would try them after years of using Renner
wippens, but living in a high humidity area, I was having problems with
Renner's jacks getting sticky--too much graphite in the  bushing cloth I
think.  I prefer Render's wippens generally because of the QC and the
adjustable rep spring, but sometimes the NYS's are a better fit.   Whatever
works.

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "J Patrick Draine" <draine@mediaone.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Cc: <eschandall@steinway.com>
Sent: October 23, 2001 4:41 PM
Subject: S&S center pinning/ was Re: Don't SAY IT ALL!!!!!


> Dear Ed et al:
> This past weekend I attended a seminar given by Eric Schandall, S&S
> Field Representative. He made some comments relating to the
> phenomenon you wrote about below.
> He said the "sizing solution" you mention is Emralon aka a teflon
> solution. He disavowed using Protek for the problem, and I thought he
> recommended against the use of the usual alcohol solutions. He did
> suggest the use of "Heet", a fuel line de-icer. Another brand of
> de-icer, "DryGas", was mentioned by a tech at the seminar but I think
> Eric was reluctant to second that suggestion because he was
> unfamiliar with that particular formulation.
> I'll cc: this to Eric to see if my memory is true.
>
> Patrick Draine
> >
> >
> >   So, to that end, I have just learned some useful information.
> >   Many of us have had to deal with pinning problems in the newer
Steinway
> >pianos.  The problems are usually pins that are tightening up, creating a
lot
> >of friction.  This seems to be mostly in the hammer pinning, though jacks
are
> >in there, too.  I was told, on good authority, that the problem stemmed
from
> >the factory attempting to use larger pins, and treating the cloth with
more
> >"reducer" or "sizing solution" to arrive at the correct friction. The
felt
> >was thus made much denser in order to shrink it enough.  This worked
until
> >there was exposure to humidity,and then the overly compacted cloth began
to
> >swell, creating the problems.
> >    On factory advice, I used the alcohol treatment on a row of tight
hammer
> >flanges, and the next day, there was a tremendous amount of erratic
pinning.
> >Many of the pins were loose enough to allow the hammers to visibly move
> >(laterally) when resting on a long screwdriver that was wiggled side to
side.
> >As Roger might say, "the tone was gone".  Jolly well right!
> >      The only real fix that I found was to repin, and to pin at the
loose end
> >of the scale, at that. ( I use the swing test, feeling that the heavier
> >hammer can perform well with slightly more friction in the pinning.)
> >   I am told that the pinning  now is being done with smaller pins, and
more
> >resilience left in the bushing cloth.  Have others noticed any
difference?
> >Regards,
> >Ed Foote RPT
>