Hammer Spring Rail and plastic action parts question

[John Ross]

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Re: Fwd: Smoky pianoWhen installing the new hammer rail springs, I have found that drilling an extra hole for the spring, and installing it like a French butt spring, keeps the wire in the slot. Also make sure that you use a piece of welding rod, in the coil when bending for tension, saves from deforming the coil.
I used to get the old wire out, put in the new wire, and try to bend it into the slot with a pair of pliers I modified, but I could never get it to lie fully in the slot.
I think it was Brian Lawson, or Jon Page that suggested this method to me.
Regards,
John M. Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dave Smith 
  To: Pianotech 
  Sent: Saturday, December 13, 2003 7:31 PM
  Subject: Re: Hammer Spring Rail and plastic action parts question


  Thanks for the advice, William. I have been trying to dig out the spring tails which are still firmly embedded in the cuts on the underside of the metal rail..  Can't get them out.  I may try bending the new springs around the underside of the rail and hot glueing a felt strip to secure.  Any other advice, pls reply.

  Dave Smith
  Sw Fl

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: William R. Monroe 
    To: Pianotech 
    Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 7:52 PM
    Subject: Re: Hammer Spring Rail and plastic action parts question


    Dave,

    I just did this job today.  My two cents:  dig 'em out.  It took me three hours to:

    -Pull Action
    -Remove Spring Rail
    -Remove Backing Felt
    -Lift out old springs
    -Cut new Springs to size
    -Set new Springs in Rail
    -Bend to shape
    -Reinstall Felt and Rail in Action

    By the time you are done manufacturing a new rail, drilling perfectly spaced holes, and then going through the same process of installing new springs, it would be a wash - or even easier to pry out the old springs.

    William R. Monroe
    Assoc.
    Madison, WI
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Dave Smith 
      To: Pianotech 
      Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 12:06 PM
      Subject: Hammer Spring Rail and plastic action parts question


      I have a customer with a 1947 Story and Clark console piano with most of the hammer butt springs broken,  It has the extra old felt strip under the spring coils, and that is where the corrosion originates.  I read about this in an old journal article, along with the advice, to try to replace the rail, rather than diggout 88 spring holes, etc.  Does anyone know if it is still possible to get a spring rail duplicated at a reasonable cost?    Any advice?  Piano is is pristine shape other than this.  It does have almost all action parts in yellowing plastic, but they dont seem to be crumbly like others I have seen.  Maybe there were some good plastic batched back then?



      Dave Smith
      SW FL

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