Winter Blues

[Paul McCloud]

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I once did a repair on a Chickering console that had plastic jacks.  I
rode in on my white horse and discovered one was broken.  "Ah yes,
M'aam, I can fix this.  No problem."  And then, removing the whippen, I
broke the plastic flange that secured it to the rail.  And then the one
next to it.  Replacing the action another broke.  Long story short,  I
had to replace every plastic part in the action.  Since I had already
given the lady a low bid ($200), I had to eat this job.  It took me
several days.  I will no longer do any repairs to actions that have
plastic parts unless I can replace them all (and this usually means it
isn't worth the cost).  A few nights ago I tuned a Fischer console with
plastic backchecks that just crumbled in my fingers.  I told the lady to
play it gently!  

            Paul McCloud

            San Diego

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Piannaman@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2003 7:16 AM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Winter Blues

 

Liszt, 

If you ever find yourself unfortunate enough to be tuning a winter
spinet circa 1940s, do not, repeat, DO NOT attempt to move the
backchecks even slightly.  The whippens are mounted on plastic flanges,
and they are now of an age that renders them quite brittle.   

I was tuning one of these little beasts yesterday, and I attempted to
regulate one of the backchecks, thereby snapping the whippen flange.
Pulled the action out, replaced flange, put action back in, resumed
tuning, and immediately found another broken flange...guess where I'm
going this morning? 

Oh yeah, the damper flanges are also made of the same yellowing plastic.
The hammerflanges, thank goodness, are made of wood! 

Just offering you all fair warning. 

Dave Stahl 


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