Haunted Flanges

[Dave Bunch]

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Thanks Wim

Centers interfering with neighbors was the cause of the problem, and =
like you said, just in the treble. I'm not so sure the pins are actually =
bending, but just that sharp, cut edge held tight against the next pin =
is enough to cause excess friction.

After trimming the excess, they all were fine. Thanks for saving me some =
diagnostic time.

Dave Bunch
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Wimblees@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 5:56 PM
  Subject: Re: Haunted Flanges


  In a message dated 4/29/03 5:27:36 PM Central Daylight Time, =
pdtek@mchsi.com writes:


    After treating some stubborn wippen flanges on a Wurlitzer console =
with little success, I am repinning them. I started with the top section =
and then started to reinstall them. After replacing a few, I was shocked =
to find that they were still very tight. No, they can't be. If anything =
I pinned them a little on the loose side. While moving a wippen up and =
down I slowly loosened the screw to find the looser the screw got, the =
freer the center felt.
     =20
    Well its getting late so I will deal with this tomorrow, but the =
only thing I can think of off hand is that the flange and the rail are =
not mating well and tightening the screw is distorting the flange and =
forcing the "legs" together causing binding on the wippen. Does this =
sound like a good guess? Anyone run into this? Best cure?
     =20
    The irony is that the flanges may not have needed to be repinned in =
the first place. When ever I had removed one after treatment to check it =
by hand, it usually would not feel too tight. Hmmmm....well its getting =
repinned anyway which is still probably best for the long haul, if I can =
get rid of the binding problem.
     =20
    Dave Bunch



  Dave

  Would you believe I just got done working on a Wurly console with the =
same problem. I too repined the flanges and then had trouble with the =
wippen. The problem is the center pin is bending. There is so little =
room between the flanges, that when you tighten the screw, the centerpin =
will actually push against the centerpin of its neighbor, and bend a =
little. That is what is causing the wippen not to work right.=20

  When I was in the process of solving the problem, I noticed that when =
I inserted the pin with the pin removing/installing tool, the flange is =
being pushed to the side where the pin comes out. There is a small gap =
between the flange and the wippen base. This makes the pin just a little =
too long.=20

  To remedy this problem, push the flange back against the wippen base, =
and then cut off the pin. If you go to one where you've already cut off =
the pin, and do this, you'll see that there is a half a millimeter left =
sticking out. That is all that is needed to bind the flange.=20

  I hope this solves your problem. It's only in the treble area. BTW, I =
reamed and repinned all the wippen flanges. I used the Mannino reamer. I =
took out a .50 pin, reamed using a .51 brouch, and then repinned with a =
.50 pin. That worked best for me. I also repinned all the hammer =
flanges, and I had to repin a number of jacks too, even though I lubed =
the hell out of them. Unfortunately, I had to do the jacks at the =
customer's house, because you can't really tell if the jacks are tight =
until you get the action in the piano.

  Good luck

  Wim=20

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