<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16544" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 10/17/2007 11:44:54 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Jfarris@mail.utexas.edu writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>I have a customer who wants his 1975 Baldwin 6'8" grand to feel <BR>lighter. It was virtually unused for many years and recently had an <BR>action reconditioning and regulation. It weighed off pretty <BR>reasonable. Downweight averaged low 50's to 50 and upweight averaged <BR>upper 20's to 30. Friction seemed low if anything. There isn't a lot <BR>of lead in the keys, as much as four weights in some of the lower <BR>bass. The hammers have enough "extra" material in the cove to remove <BR>some in an arc shape.  I'm wondering if doing only that would result <BR>in enough weight loss to make much difference. Has anyone done this <BR>procedure not in conjunction with leading, etc. and received good <BR>results?<BR><BR>Sorry if you already received this. I tried to send this message <BR>yesterday from a different source computer and don't know if it went <BR>out. :)<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>-- <BR>Jeff Farris<BR>Piano Technician<BR>School of Music<BR>UT Austin<BR>mailto; jfarris@mail.utexas.edu<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV>Hi, Jeff -</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You can expect that each gram you remove from the hammer weight will lighten the down-weight and up-weight be about 5 g.  You can test the efficacy of your anticipated modification by taking careful weights on, say # 1; then remove the hammer (OK to leave shank & flange attached) and weigh it.  Make a trial modification, coving, tapering, whatever, and re-weigh the hammer.  The difference between the 'before' and 'after' will show you the weight savings.  (Although you're weighing the hammer + shank assemble, the change will have been all in the hammer.)  Reinstall and recheck your down- and up- weights.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have done this sort of procedure to good affect in several cases.  However, sometimes there is little enough to be gained to make this seem worthwhile.  Sometimes similar or greater gains can be had by other means.  [I.e., damper stop too low - or  too high - will result in a feel of greater "weight" to the pianist.  Same for damper lift.  And you've probably already considered what excess friction might contribute to perceived "touch weight".]  Sometimes several of these procedures and adjustments can add up to an improvement much appreciated by the pianist.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>P.S.  Didn't know there was such a thing as a 6' 8" Baldwin.  6' 3"?  5' 8"?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">~ Tom McNeil ~<BR>Vermont Piano Restorations<BR>VermontPiano.com<BR><BR>346 Camp Street<BR>Barre, VT 05641<BR>(802) 476-7072</FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's new at <A title="http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170" href="http://www.aol.com?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001170" target="_blank">AOL.com</A> and <A title="http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169" href="http://www.aol.com/mksplash.adp?NCID=AOLCMP00300000001169" target="_blank">Make AOL Your Homepage</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>