[pianotech] Determining Balance Weight

[David Love]

Only experience will let you know what balance weight to use. My default is
37g.  Some go lighter some heavier.  For a given BW the action will yield a
DW and UW depending on friction.  Weigh off the action DW and UW and you
will have a chart note by note of the BW for the entire action.  Change the
front weight on each note to alter the BW to make the entire action uniform.
The change is made at a rate of 1:1. That is add 1 gram to the front weight
to reduce the BW by 1 gram.  Any change in friction will not alter the BW
because the DW and UW will change in opposite directions.  

That's the reader's digest version anyway.

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Victor Belanger
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 5:23 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] Determining Balance Weight

Hello everyone,

I have looked at the archives and cannot find an answer to perhaps a  
naive question but how does one determines which balance weight number  
to use?
I am in the process of installing hammers and shanks to a Steinway "A"  
action using what I learned in the action touch design class at the  
Convention and am slowwwwly going through it. The whippens are fairly  
new, and will check the Rep. lever pinning on all.
I understand that when I use a balance weight number, then I can use  
an appropriate DW & UW without varying the BW to some degree.
Can someone give a basic step procedure to this process?

Thanks.

Victor Belanger
Belmont, MA