<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: [CAUT] Re: Steinway Damper sytem upgrade &= redesign</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY> Joe, If you are not having any noise over the long term,= hey sounds good.   The whole idea is to eliminate the= rubbing of the top and bottom of the pitman against the tray and= lever.  I still visulize rubbing in your= retro-fit.   The punching works similar to the Baldwin= setup and eliminates any rubbing.   I've never had a= customer mention any concern with the hole in the bottom of the= piano, but I think if they were to take a look under the= piano they might just see some other holes already there= and the piano seems to be OK...;-]   I take it your removing the bushing cloth in the= original hole?   Never having any clearance= problems?   I will admit drilling under the piano is a= pain with sawdust in the face... David Ilvedson   ----- Original message= ----------------------------------------> From: Fred Sturm= <<A= href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">fssturm@unm.edu</A>> To: "<A= href="mailto:ilvey@sbcglobal.net">ilvey@sbcglobal.net</A>,= College and University Technicians" <<A= href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</A>> Received:= Mon, 08 Nov 2004 07:26:51 -0700 Subject: Re: [CAUT] Re:= Steinway Damper sytem upgrade & redesign    Me, I= retrofit using a brass “dowel” with pins on both ends. Dowel cut= from 1/4” (or so) brass rod, pins are bridge pins driven into= appropriate holes. Saves the trouble of drilling a bigger hole= through the keybed (I first did it when a customer freaked out= at the thought of drilling a hole in her piano.=     The wood dowel with punchings glued= on each end works great, perhaps better than a pinned dowel. But= to save time and effort, I found going to a smaller diameter= pitman and adding pins was quite adequate for the purpose. Brass= rather than wood because I didn’t trust the strength of smaller= diameter wood. Regards, Fred Sturm University of= New Mexico <FONT= color=#0000ff>http://music.unm.edu/about/staff_members/fred_s= _sturm.php A mind is not a vessel to be filled, but= a fire to be kindled. On 11/7/04 11:05 PM, "David= Ilvedson" <ilvey@sbcglobal.net> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE> Also, I retro-fit= pitmans all the time.  Why the pin in the dowel?  If= you are drilling out a 3/4" by 1/4" deep hole in the tray and= lever for the new pitman, the glued on punching isn't going= anywhere.... David I. </BLOCKQUOTE><FONT= face=Verdana> </BODY></HTML>