At 10:29 PM -0700 9/3/04, Horace Greeley wrote: >>You now have a set of leveling weights, custom-tailored expressly >>for that piano. > >Sorry. I am not usually this direct, but this one really simply >fails on its premise. Rethink this a bit and it will be clear. > >Best. > >Horace Forgive me as I think out loud, Horace. Variations in weight placed on a capstan will vary the key height. In one set of leveling weights, there may be minute variations among the weights (most likely, under a gram at most). However once these are installed for a key leveling session, their effect is a constant throughout the session. They are standing in for the weight of the reps (and the shanks/hammers on top of them) on the caps. Their weight can be calculated: (BalanceWeight - FrontWeight)*KeyRatio. The difference between a leveling weight and weight of action parts on that note, as calculated above, will show up as a difference in key height when read with the leveling weight and when read with the top action back on. Most likely, the bigger player in this is the weight of action parts. We've all seen this happen: a nice key leveling after a session with the weights looks bumpy as soon as the top action goes back on. Certainly there may be other things at work here (maybe poor mating between the action bracket feet and the keyframe action cleats), but this one, however slight, is undeniable. I do remember 20 years ago, Wil Snyder mention that he and David had gotten an average of "action weight at the cap" so that they could tune up a set of leveling weights. I don' remember hearing that they thought their time was well spent after having done it. Yes, I'm probably putting to sharp a point on this. But it won't be the first time on this list that a a point has been sharpen down to the width of a couple of molecules of graphite, leaving room for the next person to sharpen in further still. I agree, Horace, as a hair worth splitting, this one fails to measure up. Or do I miss your point?
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