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

[Carlos Ralon]

I worked for the Washington, DC dealor, Campbell Music Co, who was considering handleing them in the late 50's or early 60's.  He had the DC chapter come in for a tech session. The rep for the Company (Lindeman I think) said it was the new thing in piano design.  I understood him to claim they were flown in from Shannon, Ireland.  The hammer flanges could be snapped out with a thin flat screwdriver like tool.  He wanted us to purchase the necessary tools required to work on them.  No one did.  We sold Steinway, Sohmer, Kimball, Gulbransen... We sure did not need that thing.  That was the only one I ever worked on.  Thank God they did not buy them.  Obviously, somebody did!  Do yourself a favor, be nice but say no thanks.
Carlos Ralon, RPT
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: alan forsyth 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 3:08 PM
  Subject: Re: should I repair, replace, retreat,or recommend a recking ball on Thomas vertical?


  Sounds to me like a Lindener. Run away. No spares available since 1978.

  AF
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: "Mark Ultsch" <multsch at jvlnet.com>
  To: "pianotech" <pianotech at ptg.org>
  Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 4:56 PM
  Subject: should I repair, replace, retreat,or recommend a recking ball on Thomas vertical?


  > 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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