should I repair, replace, retreat, or recommend a recking ball on Thomas vertical?

[Avery]

Mark,

I agree with Alan. But you have a good tech there in Madison,
Bill Bremmer. I'd suggest giving him a call and asking him to
look at it. I don't know if he will or not, but be prepared to
pay him something to do so!

Avery Todd

At 10:56 AM 7/25/2006, you wrote:
>hi folks,
>
>I've run across an "interesting" non-standard piano with an
>uninteresting problem.
>
>It is a Thomas model PT vertical.  Serial no. 041384.  The nameplate
>lists the manufacturer as Thomas Organ of Sepulveda California.
>Pierce atlas lists only Thomas Piano (not Thomas Organ) as being from
>Sepulveda.  So, how old is this, anyway?
>
>The theory of operation is standard, but the only action components
>that look standard are the damper felts, hammers and shanks.  It
>certainly isn't a high-grade piano, but is intriguing from an
>mechanical design standpoint.
>
>The plate is a weldment and the keybed (also a weldment) is attached
>to it with machine screws and locator pins.  The action is removed
>extremely easily by flipping two spring steel clips on the top of two
>action brackets.  Components are either plastic or stamped steel.  For
>instance, the spoons are an integral part of the wippen formed from
>sheet stock.  Backchecks are stampings with  buckskin glued to them.
>Adjustments (including key height and dip) are made with plastic jack
>screws.  Wippen, hammer and damper flanges are insert injected plastic
>pieces with (what appears to be) spring steel inside.  They fit into
>approx 1/2" channel rails like mini plastic clothes pins with the
>springs reversed.  I can't find any screws holding these in place,
>either.
>
>The problem is the damper flanges have a small protruding ear that
>retains the damper (torsion) spring end.  The spring torsion places
>tension on the ear and many of these ears in the bass flanges are
>broken off, leaving the dampers to freely wander in space somewhere
>between the strings and the damper stop rail.
>
>Questions:  Are these flanges of the soon-to-be-powder plastic type
>like old plastic flanges or elbows?  Are new flanges available and, if
>so, will standard center pins work?  Or, I'm wondering if I can get a
>dab of epoxy to serve as a prosthetic ear on the existing broken
>flanges to hold the spring end (I'll try gluing a broken piece but I
>doubt it, though).  Is it worth it to replace or repair?
>
>Disclaimer:  Please correct me if some of my observations may be off a
>bit:  It's bifocal time.
>
>Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
>
>Mark Ultsch, RPT
>Madison Chapter
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