---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi Michael, Hope you got some sleep...dang those little critters! A fat bunch of moths, no doubt! Keep us posted. Dave Stahl, Sunny CA In a message dated 3/12/05 2:07:29 AM Pacific Standard Time, michael@gambles.fsnet.co.uk writes: Hello List I was asked to tune a piano in an old church (part Saxon, part Regency and part Victorian) in Lewes Sussex. This was Wednesday 9 March. When I looked at this very venerable Bechstein grand (No.2824 - figured walnut case) I found MOTH had got there first. The reason for tuning was for a piano concerto being performed there on Saturday. New composer at the piano. Dilemma! Dare I take the action out, back to my workshop, knowing the tremendous liability? Answer Yes! But Thursday I had tunings and repairs ready for piano exams at a school and an old square piano to tune. Old.. as in 1775 built by Pohlman. Pitch A=393. But that was young compared to the house it was in.... 1530. Now that's OLD. Today I was committed to tuning seven school pianos. I last tuned them two years ago... YUK. So where does the tool fit in? Bechstein action on bench. Dismantle hammer rail complete with hammers. Disconnect all those little stickers Bechstein used to use between the keys and the levers. Many of the felt bushes .. GONE! (this job is getting bigger by the moment... bigger liability..) Find the hammer rest pads on the levers are eaten. Even centre bushings.. eaten. That regulating button for the jack-top window ... eaten. Then a moth grub poked its head out and winked at me. I squashed it. They're hard, you know, quite difficult to squash. Remove the lever rail with all the levers attached and the little sticker dangling from them. Remove keys and get the vacuum going. Where were the balance rail washers? Eaten. Where were the front rail thick washers... eaten. The back rail touch felt was but a shadow of its former self...Eaten. Been there? So have I. But the action must be back and working by 3:00pm tomorrow for rehearsal. Removing the remains of the touch felt showed the need for something sharp and heavy. So I got a 1 1/2" cold chisel. Heavy thing. Sharpened it up very nicely on the belt sander and that old felt and glue came off very quickly indeed. Replace all felts and find key-touch not deep enough. Dismantle action and try again. Then regulate. I have a little (as in 3" long) flat ratchet screw driver for touch regulating in these old Bechsteins. Now the action is finished. Regulated on the bench from section string heights taken on site and using my home made bridge. But... what's that I see... poking its little brown head out of a hammer? Quick! Squash another one.. I really do fear for my stock of felt.... 'Night all Michael G.(UK) ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/e2/55/40/1d/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC