[pianotech] Puzzler ala Wurly

[John Ross]

I saw one with nails for capstans, and I think I posted pictures.
I can't remember if I glued felt on the nails, or added paper below the felt 
on the wippen.
Anyway, I just went for operational, and not a fine adjust.
It was a free job, at the local Legion.
The famous 'free' piano, we all run into from time to time.
Lat 'free' one I ran into cost him around $700, just to make it operational. 
I warned him up front, about the cost, and he is happy with the end result.
A couple in the last two weeks were purchased for $500, and in really bad 
shape, both with loose pins, and one with a separated pinblock.
Why won't people learn to hire one of us to check out any used piano they 
get?
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Terry Farrell" <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 3:16 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Puzzler ala Wurly


Bingo! You like Cuban or how 'bout made in America - rolled right here
in Tampa?

The sides only go up to the bottom of the keybed. Sides separated from
bottom of keybed. I can only assume the joint was compromised for a
long time and when they moved the piano across the room, the joint
opened up when they lifted the piano. The piano has free--standing
front legs with little wheels on them. The case does not have wheels -
it rests directly on the floor. The keybed is horizontal and the back
of the piano at the rear of the keybed is parallel with the wall
(perpendicular to the floor). The back/sides of the piano are tilted -
like the bottom of the piano stayed in one place and the top was moved
a half-inch forward. At the front of the case side there is a 3/8" or
so gap between the bottom of the keybed and the top of the case sides
(the top of the case sides was at the keybed bottom) - at the rear of
the case sides there is no gap.

The owner wants to fix the piano. I pulled the action for her and her
brother (a carpenter) is going to fix the case. My only question is
whether the joint should be closed up completely (as much as is
possible) - I presume so. But the capstans on this piano are $#%&ing
nails - what the..... heck? There appears no way to adjust the
capstans. Anyone ever see such a beast? So we really need to use the
sides alignment as a way to adjust lost motion. There is adjustment in
the capstan rail - but it was originally adjusted all the way to one
extreme. I guess I could always bend up a couple new brackets or
something to position it in the ball park.

Anyone ever see nails for capstans?

Thanks Jon. Darn good tech.

Terry Farrell

On Sep 12, 2009, at 1:34 PM, Jon Page wrote:

> I tried to stay out of this but finally went back and read Terry's
> original post.
> It has all the classic symptoms of the sides being loose and the
> back assembly tilted forwards.
> -- 
>
> Regards,
>
> Jon Page