Chickering Brass Flanges

[Tim Coates]

Horace,

In answer to your question about the pictures, I beleive I can answer that.
Michael used a Sony Mavica digital camera.  It is the same camera and
techniques we are using for the Wapin Co., LLP installation CD.  A picture
is worth a 1000 words.

Tim Coates
Wapin Co., LLP


> From: Horace Greeley <hgreeley@stanford.edu>
> Reply-To: caut@ptg.org
> Date: Sat, 01 Jan 2000 08:58:17 -0800
> To: caut@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Chickering Brass Flanges
> 
> 
> Michael,
> 
> Hmmm - one might have suspected that the first "job" of 2000 would involve
> an antedeluvian (well, ok, at least antebellum) Chickering.
> 
> As to the shanks, Renner used to make shanks with "close enough" pin to
> knuckle measurements to be usable.  The trick was to machine down the
> sides of the shanks to match the more narrow Chickering originals.  It
> is fairly easy to make a jig for this purpose; over the years I have
> used both a router setup and a disk sander.  The trick, of course, is
> to get the material removed equally from both sides...you knew that.
> 
> The flanges are another matter.  I have always felt that part of
> Chickering's trouble was being just a bit too far ahead of whatever
> curve was acceptable.  The use of brass in actions actually made
> very good sense at the time (as does the use of graphite action parts,
> and laminated soundboards today).  From what I can make out from
> your pictures, the ones with which you are dealing are not the ones
> with some extra convolutions at the tongue.  That being the case,
> a competent machinist should be able to mill you some of these
> from (relatively) standard brass stock.  Having worked on a number of
> these over the years, let me urge you to have that worthy make a
> couple dozen, not just the four or five you need at the moment.
> 
> Also, while I would certainly like to know what methods others
> have used, I (eventually) gave up trying to glue new bushings
> into these flanges, and used the tightest weave cloth I could find,
> sized with a heated steel wire (held in a truly Harvey-esque device
> constructed from a 25 watt soldering iron with a light dimmer in
> its line cord).  "Normal" gluing either did not hold against the
> brass, or permeated the cloth - making it hard beyond use.
> 
> Cool pictures, by the way - How did you do that? Any particular
> suggestions?
> 
> Thanks, and best of luck.
> 
> Horace
> 
> 
> 
> At 06:31 PM 12/31/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>> I have a 1895 Chickering grand which was just purchased by a private
>> customer. I wants to replace the hammers and shanks using the existing
>> setup. I am looking for a supplier of the brass flanges as well as what
>> would now be considered custom shanks.  See the pictures at the link
>> below.
>> 
>> I only need 5 or 6 flanges.  We plan to rebush the brass.  We will need
>> shanks.
>> 
>> You help would be appreciated.  Please respond to the email address in
>> my signature.  Thanks.
>> 
>> http://216.149.138.152/images/brassflnge1.jpg
>> http://216.149.138.152/images/brassflnge2.jpg
>> --
>> Michael Wathen
>> http://www.wapin.com
> 
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> 
> Horace Greeley,             email:    hgreeley@stanford.edu
> CNA, MCP, RPT    
> Systems Analyst/Engineer        voice:    650.725.9062
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> Stanford University
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> 
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