Slow Hammer Return

[KeyKat88 at aol.com]

Greetings,

        Good advice below. Yes, I would check these things (hammer rail 
springs broken or popped out, and try to isolate the problem) as Dave mentions 
below. Is the piano in a humid situation? (I often ask the customer questions like 
was the piano recently moved? If so, from where? (a damp basement?) Then it 
could be the hammer's action centers the 50/50 alchohol to water would be a 
good bushing shrinker, if so.

         I went to tune a reguylar customer's piano once, and the piano was 
sharper than when I had last tuned it AND some of the jacks and hammers were 
sluggish AND it was the end of winter!!!  All these things pointed to that the 
action under went exposure to humidity, yet, it was the end of winter, a time 
when the heat is on up here in the North and things should actuallly be drier, 
shrunken and the piano should be flatter!! 

      So I asked if there was a humidifying situation recently, such as a 
major pipe burst or is she running a humidifier.  Here the lady told me she had 
her ceiling re-plastered and it had been very humid for about a week till the 
guy was done (she said he used alot of water and it had to dry) AND PLUS she 
had the carpet steamed cleaned when he was done!!.

so....see...

      Sometimes you just gotta be a detective. Ask the customer questions, 
you wouldn't believe what goes on in the lives of people. If the all signs are 
pointing to something, try to go with that train of logic. Ask yourself  why  
why. why. This list is great for questions as well. Also, at a certain point, 
sometimes you just gotta trust in your knowledge, trust yourself.  

Julia Gottshall
Reading, PA

In a message dated 6/3/2006 6:39:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
piannaman at aol.com writes:
Check for tightness in any parts, not just flanges.  It could be in the 
sticker guide rail bushings as well.  Or, as John Ross suggested, there may be 
hammer return springs broken.  They come off when we  pull dropped mutes out of 
the action.  When that happens, most of us put them back in the slot most of the 
time....
Isolate the different functions to check for sluggishness.  AFter awhile 
you'll be able to diagnose things fairly quickly.
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