<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Loose Capstans</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> I encountered a new ph= enomenon the other day.  One of the piano faculty told me one note on h= is 1920’s vintage Steinway wasn’t working, so I went to check it= out.  When I pulled the action, I saw that the offending hammer was si= tting all the way down on the cushion.  After eliminating all the cause= s I could think of, I started adjusting the capstan.  The capstan was <= U>extremely loose – it took almost no force to turn it.  The = threads were still intact, but it was so loose that apparently the impact of= playing caused the capstan to screw itself down into the key.  There w= ere one or two other keys where the hammers had sagged almost as much, but w= ere still functional.  A quick survey indicated that the whole keyboard= probably needs attention. Anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?  I’m thinkin= g of maybe West System epoxy or Webb Phillips’ Wood Rebuilder, but the= n again, I do have a bottle of Garfields Pinblock Restorer around here somew= here. :-)  I don’t know what the long term effects on future adju= stments might be of any particular fix.  Just don’t suggest CA gl= ue.  The last time I used that stuff my sinuses were plugged solid for = a week. Thanks, Ken Z. -- Ken Zahringer, RPT Piano Technician University of Missouri School of Music 297 Fine Arts Bldg Columbia, MO 65211 573-882-1202 cell 573-489-7529 </BODY> </HTML>