[pianotech] Key level and the magic line.

[Paul McCloud]

Hi, Lewis:
No matter how you slice it, if you don't replace with taller heels or new wippens, the capstan/heel point is going to be the same.  If you raise the back rail felt  and the balance rail felt, your keys aren't going to fit in the case.  It's not that hard to cut off the heels and order new ones that are taller.
  
The reason you have a "magic line" is so that the capstan and heel aren't sliding back and forth.  It has nothing to do with the orientation of the key, but with the contact point of the two levers (the keypin and the wippen center).  If that contact point isn't directly on that line at half blow, there's going to be friction of capstan sliding on the heel.  Elevating the key and making a different angle isn't going to change where the wippen heel is going to be at half blow.  Even if you remove the key from the discussion for the moment, think about this:  The wippen heel is still not going to be where you want it unless you change the heel height to get it on the 'line' at half blow.

Just curious...  How did you get to this point?  Why are the capstans not on the line now? 
 
I had an action that had non standard parts in it, that required the capstans to be almost all the way unscrewed.  I had to rework the existing wippens by replacing the heels.  After cutting the heels off, I just had to drill a hole and glue on some new ones.  It made worlds of difference.

I wouldn't try to "relevel" the keys to make it work, because it won't!  Unless you don't mind that there's no fallboard ('cause it won't fit in your piano), and the keypins barely touch the mortises at rest.  Hmmm....?

Good luck.
Paul McCloud
San Diego, CA USA



----- Original Message -----
From: "lewis Newman" <musicbased at yahoo.co.uk>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2012 9:51:09 AM
Subject: [pianotech] Key level and the magic line.



Hello, i'm just wondering if somebody could help me. 


I have a rebuilt grand action where everything looks good, except the capstan/lever interface on the magic line. 


The capstan is just above it at rest..Ideally needing levers with thicker heels. 


So,I was wondering if anybody has tried using the key levelling setup to remedy this problem, by putting a thicker key rest felt under the keys?... 


My reasoning is that with a thicker felt, it would mean to achieve the same blow distance you would need to lower the capstan, and then at the same time you would need to add washers to the balance rail to restore the key height, meaning the magic line starting point would be raised.... 


Has anyone tried this?-Does it work??-need to level the keys anyway!... 




Thanks, 


Lewis.