capstan replacement on Bohemia 185

[piannaman at aol.com]

 That's what I gather...the question is, who wants to pay to have a brand new piano's action corrected?? 

In this case, the magic line = the bottom line....:-}

Dave


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>
To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 8:24 am
Subject: Re: capstan replacement on Bohemia 185
















Capstan friction isn't a big deal if you don't have any, 
or if it is acceptably low. On a?properly set up action you won't have much 
is any friction loss there anyway because the capstan/heel interface will be on 
the magic line at half blow.


?


On a poorly set up action - likely like the one you 
describe - one can reduce friction a lot by polishing an otherwise rough 
capstan. If the interface is not on the magic line, that capstan will be doing 
quite a bit of traveling along the wip heel during key movement.


?


So the bottom line is that on a well set up action, 
capstan friction likely isn't a big deal. But on a poorly set up action it can 
be very big deal indeed. Polishing is great, but it would be best to correct 
the?action geometry also.


?


Terry Farrell



  
----- Original Message ----- 
I've heard it said that capstan friction 
  isn't a big deal because the amount of sideways motion of the capstan against 
  the wippen heal is minimal.? I found it interesting, then, that on a new 
  Bohemia 185 I felt some roughness when playing, and was able to isolate it to 
  the capstan/wippen heel interface.? The surface of the capstans was sort 
  of rough, and in some instances had pronounced burrs, as well as overly 
  defined (IMHO) edges.? As a temporary fix, I teflonned the 
  heels.

Bohemia (now owned by Bechstein, btw, for better or worse) said 
  that they'd go with my recommendation to replace the capstans and re-regulate 
  the blow distance.? The new capstans--of a completely different, polished 
  texture-- arrived a couple of 
  weeks ago.? I completed the agreed-upon task tonight, and when I got the 
  action back in the piano, the difference was absolutely astonishing.? The 
  action felt entirely different, far faster and more controllable.? Both 
  the owner and I were quite surprised and pleased at the difference.

Now 
  who was it that said that capstan friction is no big to deal?? I beg to 
  differ!

Thanks for reading,

Dave

 


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