Key flexing, was "Inertia," was "Grand Touch"

[Bob Hull]

Would you comment further on the "deceleration" idea. 
I think you are speaking of the removal of the half
dowel?  I have read that the radius of the dowel was
not sufficient to actually provide the intended
"acceleration".  What are you gaining by the
decelerating?  Less key flexing and anything else?

Bob Hull

--- ed440 at mindspring.com wrote:

> It may very well render flexing at key leads
> irrellevant!  I can't recall the last time I saw a
> broken key that _did not_ break through the balance
> pin mortise.  Hardwood plates on top and bottom at
> the balance rail were common on great pianos of the
> 1920's, and somehow disappeared by the 1970's.  I'll
> be adding top plates to one I'm working on this
> summer, and am tempted to decelerate it as Ron did.
> 
> This method of pivoting the keys is inherited from
> harpsichords, where the stress is not significant.
> We should be inventing a new way to pivot keys that
> does not weaken them in the most stressed location.
> 
> Ed Sutton
> 
> Dean wrote
> >
> >The weakening effect of that balance rail hole on
> the keystick beam cannot
> >be overstated. It is the weak link in the system.
> The effect of any hole
> >drilled for leads pales in comparison. I suspect
> cracks between the holes
> >occur not because of bending stress per se, but
> because of the internal
> >stress placed on the wood by swedging the leads in
> holes too close together.
> >
> >
> >But I've been wrong before. :-)
> >
> >Dean
> >
> >
> 



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