spoon bender won't fit!

Pianotunaguy@aol.com Pianotunaguy@aol.com
Tue, 16 Nov 2004 17:40:18 EST


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In a message dated 11/16/04 12:15:13 PM, hoffsoco@martin.luther.edu writes:


> Measure hammer blow.
>=20
> Move the hammer rail forward until the hammers are halfway to the
> strings.=A0 Wedge the hammer rail in place. Tie wedge/rail/action bracket
> together.
>=20
> Actuate damper pedal rod until the dampers just start to move.=A0=A0 If yo=
u can
> get a wedge in there that will help.=A0 Tie damper rod in place.
>=20
> Remove action and=A0 put=A0 in a cradle/stand.
>=20
> Lift a wippen up until the jack touches the hammerbutt.=A0=A0 Since the ha=
mmers
> are held at the point where the dampers should start lifting and the
> dampers are held where they are when they are contacting the strings, you
> can adjust the spoons to just move the dampers when the jack hits the butt=
.
>=20

I do a variation of the above which I actually learned on the list here year=
s=20
ago.   (It must be in the archives.)   It's a little less complicated to set=
=20
up than the above, but kind of works on the same idea.   Anyway, it has work=
ed=20
for me and here it is:

If there are any dampers which lift at the right time mark them with chalk.=20=
 =20
Ideally, find some in each section.   (If not, see note later.)   Remove=20
action.   Put wedges under the damper lift rod until one of the marked dampe=
rs=20
lift at exactly the same time that their hammer starts to move.   In other w=
ords,=20
insert your wedge, find one of your marked dampers, and put your finger unde=
r=20
the wippen and lift until the hammer just starts to move.   Is that marked=20
damper (one of the dampers that lifted at the correct time in the piano) mov=
ing=20
before, after or at the same time as the hammer?  It should start moving whe=
n=20
the hammer moves.   Adjust the wedge accordingly until the damper moves in=20
unison with the hammer.   OK.   Now you're all set.   Bend the other spoons=20=
so=20
that they, too, move at the same time as their respective hammers.   Like=20
Conrad's method, this takes a couple of rounds to get just right.   (Hope yo=
u're not=20
working on a spinet!)   Each time the action goes back in the piano, mark th=
e=20
dampers that are moving too soon or too late, take the action back out and=20
reset the damper lift rod so that the correctly lifting dampers lift at the=20=
same=20
time as their hammers, and then adjust your bad ones until they also move at=
=20
the same time as their hammers.   It usually takes me three rounds to get it=
=20
right.  =20

What if there are no dampers lifting at the correct time?   Congratulations!=
 =20
 You're going to make a little extra money, because you'll have to guess on=20
that first pass and that's going to take extra time.   It seems like I get a=
=20
few right on that first pass even when I'm just guessing, and then you can m=
ark=20
those and start at the top.   This may be where Conrad's method outshines th=
is=20
one.  =20

Next time, Conrad, I think I'll try it your way.   (But tell me, how do you=20
get the damper rod wedged while it's in the piano?) Since I rarely contribut=
e,=20
and no one mentioned the above method, well, here it is.  =20

Anonymously yours,
PianoTunaGuy

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