Key Weight

[David C. Stanwood]

Dear Dave,

You have to take the time to measure up and down weight.  As a very rough
rule of thumb, if there is a difference of more than 30 grams between them
then you've got a friction problem...  If you fix friction and the action
still feels heavy then you've most likely got a weight/leverage problem.
Things like radical reduction in hammer weight or moving the capstan line
in towards the balance rail will solve it but these are not an option
because they are not so reversable... 

The only thing I can think of that is reversable is changing the seating of
the key on the balance rail punching to shift the pivot point of the key
thereby bringing the overall action rail down and lightening the dynamic
feel of the action.  It will cost you time in relevelling the keys...  It
may be possible to remove all the balance rail punchings and attach a strip
of veneer, say 3/16" wide, on the balance rail up against the back side of
the balance rail pins.  Then relevel the keys with a thin cloth punching.  

The effect is dramatic and reversable.

David Stanwood
http://www.stanwoodpiano.com


>There have been many, many posts about touch-weight, key leading, etc.
>in the last few days.
>Some of it I get, and some of it, well, let's just say it eludes me.  It
>is sinking in
>gradually.
>
>I have a job that may require a real-world application of some of the
>theoretical situations
>that have been posted.  I will probably be flamed for not looking in the
>archives, the Journal,
>or other resources, but--covered up asbestos(sorry...:-) I know
>how--here goes:
>
>I have a friend who plays piano at a restaurant.  It's a new Henry F.
>Miller--actually a Pearl
>River, I believe--petite grand(she called it a "Harry Potter, or
>something" when I asked her to
>describe it to me).  Sue complained about the heaviness of the touch,
>which surprised me until
>she asked me to sit in for a tune.  I wasn't able to get the gram
>weights out at dinner hour
>last night, but I'd be willing to wager that it's up around 75-80 grams
>touch weight.  Playing
>it is like weightlifting.
>
>It is a rental piano, and the restaurant owner doesn't want to spend
>much money on getting it
>to work any better.  I'd like to help my friend out, though, and
>experiment a bit in the
>process.  I haven't been able to get in to assess the cause of the
>heaviness, but it does not
>feel like friction.  I am going to tune it and give it a minor
>regulation within a couple of
>weeks, at which time I'll have more info.
>
>Has anybody worked on one of these?  Any suggestions for lightening the
>action without major
>surgery would be appreciated.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Dave Stahl
>
>