I considered new levers and flanges, but the new levers have the new flanges with the offset holes that move the flange and hence the lever over a tad and screw up damper and spoon alignment. And yup on the other stuff. Thanks. Terry Farrell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Brekne" <rbrekne@broadpark.no> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 1:45 PM Subject: Re: Damper Lever Rebuild (tad long) > Why not buy new ones... but if you must. I use a filed down pair of needle nosed > pliers.. pretty thinned nose. I can almost always pull the flange cord out with > the spring still on, then just seperate the two. Once in a while I have to > resort to slicing the cord first.... but not very often. Installing new cord I > am sure you know the trick about pulling back the outside layer of the cord and > cutting away the core about an inch back, then using some super glue or > something to fashion a short hard point to run through the flange. I swab the > inside of the flange hole with watered down white glue myself. You dont really > need much to hold it. I am not sure you need any really. > > > > Farrell wrote: > > > I have several questions regarding rebuilding upright damper levers. I need > > to replace all damper lever springs and felt. Anyone willing to help? > > > > 1) Damper spring flange cord. What is the best way to remove it? I tried > > pushing it through - just jammed up in the spring area and......(flange is > > now in vice with tite-bond). Is there a handy way to pull it through? Or > > should it be cut with a razor at the spring and then pushed? I did take the > > steel center pin out first (I assume that is the way to start at least). > > > > 2) The cord in the one flange I have removed appears to not have been glued > > in place - is this OK to reproduce when installing the new cord? > > > > 3) Should the new cord simply be pulled through and cut to length? If it is > > not glued in, is it not going to crunch up inside when I try to install > > center pin? Is there some procedural trick to getting new cord and pin in? > > Or should I glue it in regardless of whether it was originally glued in or > > not? > > > > 4) There is a creased little round piece of felt/cloth at the lever top > > where the top of the spring rubs against the lever. Some levers do not have > > cloth, instead they have a direct wire-to-graphited wood contact. Do I need > > the felt/cloth? Can I just remove it and put some dag on the groove in > > lever? If it is best to replace felt/cloth, what should it be replaced with? > > I do not find any such identified thing in the catalogs. > > Generally if there was cloth to begin with, then you need it there. Easy enough > to fashion out of regular bushing cloth. You should have a circle or oval felt > punch tho... available from most piano tech supply houses. ( I make all my own > balance rail and front rail bushings with a similiar tool) Levers that dont have > the felt from before you can opt to put it in I suppose, but the other way > around will require that you make sure the groove is smooth enough. > > > > > 5) What kind of felt/cloth is used at the bottom of the lever where the > > damper lift rod and damper spoons push against the damper lever? > > You should use good felt. Grin. Ususally 2-3 mm medium firm.. like the stuff > lots of back rail cloth is made of... only much thinner. (not the reall dense > stuff...) > > > 6) What kind of bushing felt/cloth should be used in the damper lift rod > > bushing holder thingees? Is there any source for older style bushing holder > > thingees? I know they have the newer ones in the catalogs, but I will have > > to chisel/rout a new spot for these if I need to convert. My original ones > > have a round base and appear to be made of copper or brass. > > I use a really firm cashmir. At least 1 mm thick. And I rub a good deal of > teflon powder into it. > > > > > I know cloth is woven. How does felt differ? How to tell the difference when > > examining old cloth/felt? > > Dont really know the answer to this... like its never been a need to know thing > for me... but I would be interested to know. I do know you can rip good cashmir > on a straight line... which is very handy. > > > An aside - but related topic: > > One thing at a time... One thing at a time.... :) > > > > > I am engaged in doing a partial rebuild of an upright action. The lady is > > pretty sure that she will go ahead with rebuilding the entire piano in the > > next few years - > > -- > Richard Brekne > RPT, N.P.T.F. > Bergen, Norway > mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no > > >
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