Key Cover Problem

[Joseph Garrett]

Alan asked: "I have a music teacher customer with a Yamaha grand that has a
poorly counter-balanced (or some problem) fallboard. It has made several
credible attempts to chop hands off young students.
 
It appears to have never had any sort of close-retarding mechanism, let
alone a Soft-Close device.
 
Tried Googling up a solution, 'cause I know it's been on the list, but I
got endless chains of stuff and no answers (and no hits when I added
"site:www.ptg.org" for some reason.)
 
Someone help me out here, please. What's a good fix?
 
Alan,
I'd install a  Steinway spring. In case you don't know what that is, it's a
spring about 3-4" long w/a very minor spring bend. It is installed IN the
cavity case, in the arc of the travel of the back of the Fallboard. As the
fallboard is opened the spring, (with it's tapered curve), the resistance
is increased. If it is installed correctly, when the fall board is in it's
full open position the back of the fallboard will have JUST passed the top
of the spring curve. To close the fallboard, it will take quite a bit of
umph to get the fall board to start closing. Difficult to explain, but a
simple installation. Just looked it up in the Schaff catalogue. It's Number
960 on page 124.
Regards,


Joseph Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain, Tool Police
Squares R I