[CAUT] Agraff levels

[Joe And Penny Goss]

MessageHi Lance,
To my knowledge string - hammer mating was never done on the level ( sorry ) that it is today.
It was more a mater of mating the hammer to whatever the strings were. Sorry if there was a problem when the una corda pedal was used.
It may have been Fazioli who was the first to use a level on their instruments. There level was / is 
a piece of brass H channel with a vial in the top and the base cut so it will cover just one unison.
Very light and for me too light. When one plucks the string too hard to test for good mating, the level tends to bounce off the unison.
I introduced my first level at the Orlando national. It was way too light. Only 10 were made.
We settled on using a brass blank that weighs about 45 grams and with the vial almost 50 grams.
The only real change in the brass model was to use a thinner vial so that the tool would stand up a little better to dropage without the vial popping off.
Joe Goss RPT
Mother Goose Tools
imatunr at srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: lafargue at bellsouth.net 
  To: 'College and University Technicians' 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 8:42 AM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] Agraff levels


  At the beginning of this thread I was concerned about an Estonia with tilted agraffes and uneven agraffe/string holes.  It was to the point that I couldn't bend a string enough to compensate for good string/hammer mating. I have seen this on other pianos, but not this much.  

  It would be interesting to know who makes agraffes and are the plate makers aware of the importance of a level plane (duh, probably).  With the increase in our world-wide market for parts now, I wonder who makes them.  

  The bottom line is that you cannot prep a piano to a high level without this to lay a foundation on.  


  Lance Lafargue, RPT

  LAFARGUE PIANOS, LTD

  New Orleans Chapter, PTG

  985.72P.IANO

  lafargue at bellsouth.net

  www.lpianos.com

   

   

   

    -----Original Message-----
    From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fred Sturm
    Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:53 AM
    To: College and University Technicians
    Subject: Re: [CAUT] Agraff levels


    I don't know where Steinway buys agraffes, but they now own Kelly Plate, and they have upgraded that facility to install a computer controlled drilling process. The spacing of agraffes in new pianos is MUCH better in the past two to three years. I suspect the square of the holes (hence lack of cant of the agraffes) is much better, too - I haven't noticed much trouble leveling strings on the few new instruments I have serviced. They used to have Kelly drill their plates. Bad idea.  
    All that said, perfection of hole drilling in cast iron is iffy at best. The unevenness of the material itself causes bits to chatter, at least in my experience. It's not like drilling brass.

    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    University of New Mexico
    fssturm at unm.edu






    On Jul 17, 2006, at 8:04 PM, Willem Blees wrote:


      It sounds like we're talking about two different issues. One is the 

      level of the agraff itself, compared to the level of the of the plate. 

      What you claiming is that the plane of the agraff holes are not level 

      with the plate. Which could be caused by poor drilling, or that the 

      counter sink of the agraff hole is not flat, which will cause the 

      agraff to cant to one side when it is tightened. 




      The other issue is the holes in the agraff, which is what I was 

      referrring to. Although there might be very minute differnces in the 

      plane of the holes compared to the top of the agraff, I think the holes 

      themselves are level. 




      BTW, does Steinway make their own agraffs, or are they outsourced?




      Wim 

      Willem Blees, RPT

      Piano Tuner/Technician

      School of Music

      University of Alabama

      Tuscaloosa, AL USA


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