action brackets needed

[Bill Ballard]

At 7:14 PM -0500 11/24/03, Life4opera@aol.com wrote:
>I need some help, I recently got a marshall & wendell 1928, when I 
>removed the action, I noticed the brackets were broke, and cracked , 
>yes all of them, by the pictures in the schaff catalog I order the 
>aeolian american 108 model, ( the original brackets have the number 
>108 engraved).
>then ding dong! ups came with the brackets and voila, no match at all!!!
>this ones are shorter, the holes not match,  the angles for the 
>rails are all wrong etc etc
>anyone has any idea where I can find this brackets?

Two suggestions:

1.) Add whatever shims (or remove stock) as needed, to get the old 
rails to sit on the new (wrong) brackets such that the hammer, wippen 
centers, and capstan lift points have the same x/y location as the 
original action did (as much as this is possible to make out).

2.) The action brackets in many 19th century were made out of 
laminated wood. If you've got some Delignit leftovers hanging around 
the shop, make your own. It'll mean resawing the Delignit down to 
1/2" slabs (or whatever thickness/width will work, including whatever 
feet you might want to glue on separately).

In either case, it'll be good exercise in ingenuity. As this vintage 
of piano gets older (and the call for such action bracket 
replacements gets rarer), and as supply houses get fewer, we'll all 
need more ingenuity.

At 7:14 PM -0500 11/24/03, Life4opera@aol.com wrote:
>Eduardo Ch

We'd be delighted to meet you if you introduced yourself.

Bill Ballard RPT
NH Chapter, P.T.G.

"We mustn't underestimate our power of teamwork."
     ...........Bob Davis RPT, pianotech '97
+++++++++++++++++++++