Antique damper regulation

[Gevaert Pierre]

Hi, Greg, Stéphane,

It is of course important to unscrew and block the damper stop rail as high
as possible to  alow the dampers that need regulating to be lifted above the
others.

Kind regards,

Pierre Gevaert 

-----Message d'origine-----
De : pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] De la part
de Stéphane Collin
Envoyé : lundi 6 octobre 2008 7:10
À : grahampianos at yahoo.com; 'Pianotech List'
Objet : RE: Antique damper regulation

Hi Greg.

On a Chickering, I don't know.  But on antique Pleyel pianos, you can turn
the head of the damper upside down, which makes it possible to screw the
threaded wire.  This makes it also possible to adjust the head laterally
over the strings, by giving a full turn to the head.  Beware that at both
places there might be a drop of burnt shellac that holds the damper in
place, which can give the feeling that it won't move.  It is maybe a good
practice to put a new drop of burnt shellac when the regulation is done.
Also, on antique Pleyel pianos, you can unscrew the struts so it is possible
to regulate the adjacent dampers*.

Best regards.

Stéphane Collin.

*(joke.)
How do you regulate damper wires on antiques where the wire screws into the
damper lift flange.  

I've been asked to touch up a late 1800's Chickering grand, straight strung.
Several bass dampers are a little high.  Normally, I'd just loosen the
screw, let the damper wire drop in the lifter flange, and tighten back up.
Can't do that here.  It looks like I need to screw the wire down a turn or
two, but can't get the head above the adjacent heads.  I thought about
raising the upstop rail, but doubt that will get me enough height.  And then
there's the one next to the plate beam.   
Greg Graham