<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Thanks Chris and all that replied. I’ll thumbtack the specs to the wall so I won’t misplace them. I did contact Kent Webb and the current spread specification is 4 13/32” which translates to 4.40625”   The piano in question is indeed of 1968 vintage (Mr. Purdy) and was originally Teflon with the big fiber knuckles. I isolated the problem to two sources: The rear of the stack was 1/16” too high (3 5/16”)…easy enough, I carefully planed the shoes down. The shank bumpers on the new wippens I want to use (Tokiwa miracle wipps) are 1/8” higher than the original. We save a lot of old parts here…it was good to have some samples to check. This piano had a new soundboard installed a few years ago (before I started here) and obviously the string heights are lower now than its original incarnation.   In Chris’s post below I can’t exactly visualize what they are talking about when they say “continually check for straightness with the straightedge on top of the hammershank flanges”. My only guess is that if the mounting blocks aren’t all on the same plane the hammer rail could warp down or up where a stack bracket is screwed down but it seems like it would have to be really bad for this to happen.       <div> Eric Wolfley, RPT Supervising Piano Technician College-Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati </div>   -----Original Message----- From: Chris Solliday [mailto:solliday@ptd.net] Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 5:07 PM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] Steinway stack height   <div> "B" at note 62 in NYC hammer flange 5 3/4" </div> <div> rep flange 3 1/4"  based on string height of 7 1/2"    you didn't say if pre 84 or post or the new incarnation but the spread pre 84 was  4.381" and post 84 was 4.395"  This may have changed on the latest and greatest and for that I suggest you call Kent Webb or email him.  I think it is important to note that according to Mike Mohr's Forefinishing Notes, which I consider a reliable source, "Set Action Frame Height" says "IMPORTANT NOTE: the action stack height, as determined by the thickness of the mounting blocks. This action height is unique for each instrument, and is the result of the individual string height for a piano. String height variables are the result of the plate fitting and belly operations... String heights change from bass to treble usually in an arched or crowned manner. These numbers for note # 62 represent an average. Maintaining the relationship between the stack height and the string height ensures: A) the proper BLOW distance at the same time the hammershank is properly off the cushion. and B) the proper HAMMER ROTATION is needed to minimize overstriking or shallow striking conditon. NOTE; if string height is lower or higher than above, keep the relationship the same..." (and later after shimming or planing the bass and treble mounting blocks) "continually check for straightness with the straightedge on top of the hammershank flanges." I know you only asked for numbers, but what the heck, I felt like sharing. BTW I'm sure you remember that we discovered when shimming or planning it is best to rotate the stack on the hammer flange pin axis which means adjusting the front foot differently than the back foot. Of course there are even greater subtleties to this process but then you did just ask for the numbers. Stay well, Chris Solliday   </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 3.0pt; margin-left:3.0pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div> ----- Original Message ----- </div> <div style='font-color:black'> From: <a href="mailto:WOLFLEEL@UCMAIL.UC.EDU" title="WOLFLEEL@UCMAIL.UC.EDU">Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)</a> </div> <div> To: <a href="mailto:'caut@ptg.org'" title="caut@ptg.org">'caut@ptg.org'</a> </div> <div> Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 9:53 AM </div> <div> Subject: [CAUT] Steinway stack height </div> <div>   </div> Hi All,   I’m sure somebody out there knows the specs for the distance from the keybed to hammerflange center and keybed to wippen center for a Steinway B. I have these written down somewhere but can’t find them and I don’t trust my memory. I’m correcting a problematic action and believe the stack to be too high since to get the proper blow distance the shank cushions have been reduced to nubs. The bore distance of the hammers is correct and the string heights are in the normal range.   Thanks!   Eric Wolfley, RPT Supervising Piano Technician College-Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati   </blockquote> </div> </body> </html>