[pianotech] damper tray support

[Gene Nelson]

> Gene,
>
> Not sure about the pivot block idea, but Delrin or some other dense 
> plastic would be workable, and a bearing could be fitted to it pretty 
> easily.
**** Thanks
>
> But my question is, why do you want to move the pivot point?  I'm not 
> clear by what you are meaning by the "same plane as the lift lever center 
> pin."  If you are referring to the damper lever center pins axis being 
> different than the tray pivot axis, then there are good reasons to keep 
> these two separated.

**** Yes - these two axis when brought together make for a much smoother 
functioning back action.
Have done 5 now and like the results very much.
As part of the mod I will also remove leaf springs and replace with coil and 
place it near the pitman - pitman also gets modified - replaced with 
threaded rod - no rubbing on the key bed or scrubbing on the tray. Learned 
it from Brett Dearing and Dale Fox.
The only down side that I observed is that the coil return spring - I get it 
from Steinway - is not always strong enough.

Gene
> Don Mannino
>
>
> ---- Gene Nelson <nelsong at intune88.com> wrote:
>> Hello all,
>> Just wondering if anyone has ever built damper tray support blocks with 
>> anything other than wood?
>> Possibly something with a small bearing in it?
>>
>> Every back action job so far gets modified so that the tray pivots on the 
>> same plane as the lift lever center pin.
>> The Renner kit requires the addition of something more than is supplied 
>> in the kit to make this happen.
>> In this case in the treble I do not have the space and may need to 
>> relieve some material from the treble dam.
>>
>> The attached photo of the old tray kind of tells the story (the old leaf 
>> spring is history) - I need about an additional 8mm to make the new 
>> assembly work. So I thought possibly a metal L bracket with bearing or 
>> end rod with swivel bearing or ???
>>
>> Thanks for any ideas.
>> Gene
>