Pesky pitman problem

[Susan Kline]

Dear Jeannie,

Yes, that was the kind I worked on, with the capstan-thing. I never did
figure out _what_ wasn't working either, but gluing the hammer scrap felt
around it so it _couldn't_ escape did work for me. I don't remember if I
made a full surround, or just tested which directions it could slip out and
put blocks there.

Is the tray wood? I don't remember a metal tray, but it was so long ago. 

I just trimmed and glued and fiddled on the spot, but if I wanted to do it
again I might take a good thick slab of hammer scrap felt, and make the
appropriate sized hole in it with an arch punch, and trim the edges to size,
leaving about 1/3" of felt on every side of the hole. Then I'd test it,
holding it in place around the pitman, and if I liked it I would glue it to
the underside of the tray. The presence of leather would give you a good
surface to glue it to. You might even use my glue trick. Put white glue on
the felt, test in place to be sure exactly where it should go, let it slip
down, add a drop or two of CA glue, _immediately_ press into place. Get the
right place! It sets up immediately.

Anyway, this is easy to _write_, but the actual problem in the real piano
may be a lot harder than solving it on the computer screen. Good luck!

I'm glad the customers are nice. Enjoy your bread! You'll earn it!

Susan

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At 08:49 PM 11/24/97 -0800, you wrote:
>Dear List and Susan, Newton, Dave, Bill, Theodore, & Dick,
>    I visited the patient again this afternoon, optimistically thinking I
>had the correct diagnosis.  However, seeing the piano right in front of me
>brought home the seriousness of the situation.
>    It does not have a pin in the dowel, as most of you thought (me, too!)
>but instead a capstan like screw, which did not seem particularly loose or
>strange in any way. It seemed to be adjusted to the right height It does not
>fit into a recess, but makes contact with a piece of leather under the
>damper tray.  The leather did not seem particularly worn or sticking in any
>way. There is not any lost motion between the top of the pitman and the tray
>which might allow sloppiness and movement.    .
>    There was no pedal stop mechanism under the keybed other than the thick
>felt to stop the upward travel of the pedal, and it was not moving
>excessively.
>    The damper stop rail could stand to be a little bit lower, but that is
>not possible with the present configuration, which is only a thin aluminum
>rail and the screws are almost to the top of the slots as it is.  The rail
>can't move any further down.  But it is not excessively high.
>    No children have been misusing the pedal, nor has anyone else. All the
>screws in the lyre and all the levers involved in the trapwork are moving
>freely and smoothly.  Everything appears to be running straight up and down.
>    So what am I missing?  I checked everything completely again, and put it
>all back together.  Played the pedal 100 times and everything is working
>fine.  I can't be sure it will last, because this is what I have done all of
>the other times and it failed.
>    I must be doing something right, however, because I was given a loaf of
>home made bread just out of the oven in addition to a check.  This customer
>has been very patient with all the inconvenience.
>    By the way, to "simply" remove the action to look inside there are 14,
>screws to deal with.  What a pain.   Please forward any more of your ideas.
>My attitude about this piano is deteriorating rapidly.  Thanks for the help.
>    Jeannie
>Jeannie Grassi, RPT
>Bainbridge Island, WA
>jgrassi@silverlink.net
>
>
>

Susan Kline
P.O. Box 1651
Philomath, OR 97370
skline@proaxis.com


"I know exactly how long it will take me: whatever time is available, plus a
little more."
			-- Ashleigh Brilliant