[pianotech] wippen felt advice

[Dean May]

>>Remember, this thing is ancient! Good luck!

 

Since it has been mostly rebuilt I would suspect it's most likely not a from
old parts, but from new parts, either incorrectly selected parts, or
improperly set up. 

 

Dean

Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 

PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 

Terre Haute IN  47802

 

  _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of J Patrick Draine
Sent: Friday, June 26, 2009 10:57 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] wippen felt advice

 

I'm sure Pianotek or Pianoforte can provide you with acceptably firm cloth
for the wippen pads. The worn key bushings could be causing wobbling between
the dowel capstan and the wippen cloth, wasting pressure on the key on side
to side friction rather than direct wippen movement.

Even though the various flanged parts appear to  be free of verdigris and
"move freely", remove them from one of the "high friction keys", and take
some measurements of flange friction. What condition is the hammer butt
buckskin and butt felt? Damper lever felt at spoon contact?

Remember, this thing is ancient! Good luck!

Patrick

On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 7:27 PM, Tom Sivak <tvaktvak at sbcglobal.net> wrote:


List

 

The piano is a Steinway upright from the 1870s. It came to me, refinished,
almost completely rebuilt, and nearly unplayable.  There is a lot of
friction, especially on some keys.  I suspected verdigris, but the action
centers were not the problem.  (It is verdigris free, and everything moves
freely.)

 

The problem seems to be the wippen pads.  The hammer moves with no
appreciable resistance when I lift the wippen with my finger.  Push the key
down and I have to use undue pressure.   The keys themselves need new
bushings, move too freely, and are not the problem, either.

 

The capstans are smooth and when I run my finger over the top there is no
stickiness, roughness, or anything would increase friction.  (They are the
big wooden dowel capstans.)

 

The wippen felt pads, though, are heavily dented, even though they were
replaced in the rebuild.  They are a white felt, they look to be an
appropriate thickness, but my theory is that the felt was too soft and thus
the dents are, at least, a part of the problem. 

 

I want to make sure I don't replace these with a felt that is also too soft.
How can one measure and compare the softness of felts?  

 

Or is there a specific brand/weight/etc. that you have used with success?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice you all might have,

 

Tom Sivak

Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

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