[pianotech] wippen felt advice

[Albert Lord]

Tom,

Check the fore/aft position of the dowel capstan under the
wippen.  Too far back,  it will feel heavy.  Bend the wire
a bit toward the front (of the piano), it will feel lighter.

Albert Lord


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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>
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