[pianotech] Action Reconditioning/Rebuilding: When is it best to replace felts?

[Paul T Williams]

Correct, William;

I just think that if you're charging a substantial investment in a piano 
action, we, as techs, should just replace these things as a given. At 
least that was how I was taught by my mentor, Mr. Steve Brady. (the crazy 
dancing dude! and great friend!)

I've seen way too many action "retrofits/rebuilds" that customers thought 
were totally "rebuilt"!  I've seen everything from a very good action 
rebuild to something looking like a 5th grader took after it with some 
WD-40 and some sandpaper....Same with restringing.... poorly done and some 
gold spray-paint to re-bronze the plate!  Even paint on the 
strings...Gives the rest of us a bad name...Shame on them!

Paul




From:
"William Truitt" <surfdog at metrocast.net>
To:
<pianotech at ptg.org>
Date:
11/12/2009 04:08 PM
Subject:
Re: [pianotech] Action Reconditioning/Rebuilding: When is it best       to 
replace felts?



Another reason to replace action felts not yet mentioned – noise.  Old 
felts compress, get hard, and noisy; particularly let off felts, back rail 
cloth, front rail punchings.
 
Will Truitt
 
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On 
Behalf Of Paul T Williams
Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 4:50 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Action Reconditioning/Rebuilding: When is it best 
to replace felts?
 
Good call, Jon 

If one is to perform a full action retrofit, why stop at wips and 
hammers/shanks/flanges....especially if the customer can afford it! I have 
gone to the wurzen conical front rail punchings as well with nothing but 
huge success and raves from the customers.  Like them a lot! 

Like when I re-string...new bridge pins and agraffes.... It only makes 
sense.  OK, I admit, a few practice room grands didn't get 
everything...sometimes, just new hammers, or new bass strings, but that's 
my budget restraints!.....if only in a perfect world.... 

Paul 


From: 
Jon Page <jonpage at comcast.net> 
To: 
pianotech at ptg.org 
Date: 
11/12/2009 01:07 PM 
Subject: 
Re: [pianotech] Action Reconditioning/Rebuilding: When is it best to 
replace felts?
 




Replace all the key frame felts, including cardboard punchings.
I don't like to deal with dry-rotted punchings down the line.
Might as well replace the letoff buttons as well.

For the hammer rail, get a roll of fine emery cloth from Klingspor
and adhere a strip onto the rail with double-sided tape (a hardware
store will have 1/2" tape for plastic window sheets by 3M).
-- 

Regards,

Jon Page



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