This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Whoa ... No one took the quiz??? We used to have fun with these challenges. Oh, well, okay: I'll post the answers because I said I would. They follow the problems: Problem 1: Jack not resetting on one key. Removed a lot of slop (lost motion) but that didn't fix it. Centers NOT sluggish, rail bushings not binding, rail pin not turned, letoff about right. >>>>> Bridal wire pulled out too far, strap was pulling the hammer back before the jack could slip under it. Problem 2: One key played just great unless you played it while holding down it's immediate neighbor, then both locked up and wouldn't reset. Hammers and wooden action parts are NOT binding, not even touching. >>>>> Dueling bridal wires & backcheck rods. (Isn't it amazing how many things we fix or regulate by bending, twisting, warping, shimming, or sticking little pieces of paper behind/under things!!?) Problems 3 & 4: Several keys were low despite proper adjustment of whippen height (capstans), etc. This piano has a thick wooden upstop rail (keystrip? prop rail?), separate from the key cover & nameboard assembly. When I removed this, the keys all fell beautifully level--after I adjusted a few capstans so the hammers actually rested on the rest rail, that is. There were two reasons why the rail made a few hammers too low: One involved a missing part, the other was due to a little careless cosmetic work by someone. >>>>> Back of two replaced ivory tails were too thick so I filed 'em down a little. Also, there is a screw that supports the middle of the rail and keeps it from sagging in the center; it was missing. Problem 5: A few notes (randomly located) went "thunk" when played and had a very short sustain. >>>>> Hammers blocking completely because backchecks were mashed in too tight. (Or, to sound more professional: "Hammer checking was severely out of regulation.") Problem 6: One note played perfectly well unless you struck it six or seven times and then it would not play at all. A small adjustment with my thumb and forefinger put everything right ... until you played the note a few times and it locked up again. Etc. etc. ... >>>>> Backcheck wire/rod had broken at the wippen. Someone drilled a hole just in front of the old hole and shoved the backcheck into it. When played, the catcher would knock the backcheck--which was off center--until it turned almost 90 degrees, after which the backcheck was practically up against the catcher even in the rest position. So the hammer could not bounce off the strings and check, it just ended up blocking against the strings. JB Kwik Weld to the rescue. Interesting and inexplicable why so many of these problems relate to wires sticking out of wippens. I'm wondering if some tech didn't drop this action or knock it over! Problem 7: Couple of strings were very hard to tune: You'd bring them up to pitch, with difficulty, but have trouble keeping them there even though pin torque is 60 in. lbs. or better. There is a clue in the piano description. >>>>> Whoever pounded in the pins--which is a perfectly legitimate fix SOMETIMES on SOME pianos if DONE CORRECTLY, IMHO--put some of the coils so close to the plate that they bottomed out before the string was up to pitch! I'm surprised the strings didn't break. Only thing I knew to do was carefully pop out the becket, turn the pin out a ways, replace the string, tune it, then tap it to a reasonable height. Problem 8: One note sounded like the damper wasn't lifting at all (it was) and two of its neighbors made buzzing, rattling sounds when played. >>>>> This will generally happen when you drop a stick mute into the guts. Sorry, that was a cheap shot. But we do find many objects that kids, mice, AND tuners have deposited in the works. The Barbie Doll shoe was the toughest to find. True story: I once missplaced my needlenose pliers. Gave up on finding them and bought a new pair. Six months later, I sat down to tune a Hamilton console for one of my rural church clients. I generally run up all the notes, first, to see how the tuning has held, spot any way-off strings, and make sure the keys play okay. In doing this I noticed that several keys in the bass seemed "heavy" and rattly, though the client had never complained. Opened the lid and .... well, you guessed it. Alan R. Barnard It's 12:30 a.m. Just back from my PTG chapter meeting -- which was two hours away from Salem, MO --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.592 / Virus Database: 375 - Release Date: 2/18/2004 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/b8/1d/72/ad/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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