Loose flange on let up? - NOT

[Eric Leatha]

>I have changed my original subject from: "Key let up - knocky noise"
>                              to: "Loose flange on let up? - NOT"
>Sorry List, A BETTER description of the noise I heard is  "a loose
>flange type of sound" rather than "knock" and my first tendancy was to
>check the flange screws. It is a wood-to-wood or wood-to-hard glue or
>wood-to-metal "click" or "tick" or "tap" type of sound.  And I am now
>sorry that I used "knock" in my first posting, because "knock" would
>describe a deeper tone than what I am hearing.
>
>Thanks to Fred T. , Ed F. , Glenn, Ralph M., Anne B. ,Roger J. , Jon P.,
>Vince, Bob A., Eric L.  Les S., John E, Howard R.  for their many
>ideas... some ideas I will check out.
>Other ideas I have ruled out.
>
>  >>>>>  Question # 1, clarified:
>Encountered 10/7/97, 35% realive humidity, a 1965 Steinway L, teflon
>bushed.
>When the key is let go, on the up stroke, there is a loose flange type
>of a sound. After finding the flanges tight, my second guess was a loose
>hammer head, but those were also tight. I perceived the noise at a low
>level throughout the action, which is
>acceptable or at least bearable, but I perceived the noise at  a notable
>loudness on several notes, randomly, mostly in the midrange of the
>piano.
>
>The noise is present with the action out of the piano, ruling out sharps
>hitting the fallboard.  The noise is present with the key isolated ( key
>held down immobile- while letting hammer drop down to rep lever), ruling
>out key bushings, key leads, and key to stop rail.  The random,
>non-consecutive appearance of the noise would rule out glides or loose
>rails.
>I thought, maybe the shank was hitting "tapping" the top of rep lever
>height adjustment screw , but when I held a piece of bushing cloth
>inbetween - still no improvement.  The "shank cushion?" is plenty soft.
>I squeezed the knuckle with my pliars to test hardness, and concluded
>that it was about the same hardness as the adjacent non-clicky
>knuckle... next time, maybe I'll switch hammer assemblies to see if
>noise switches also.  I don't remember testing the tightness of the
>knuckle core in the shank ... I should have.  Could a loose telflon
>bushing cause a loud "woody tappy" noise like that?

Yes sir.  My bet is that you will find the whippen flange center pin loose
in the bird's eye.  If this is the case, you will need a teflon kit from
Steinway (Mine ran about $88.  I used it once, then took my current
position at a Yamaha Dealer two weeks later.  Hey, but I have one now!)
Although I have heard you can get away with using a regular center pin,
Steinway recommends against it.

>If so, how would I test each bushing to know which needed repair?

Try to see if the pin is turning in the teflon or is seized in it.  I
"painted" half of the end of the pin with a felt marker and then watched
for movement while flexing te flange.

>I will check the regulation buttons at the next tuning.  The noise occurs
>without the
>jack moving away from it's rest position, ruling out the jack hitting
>the opposite side of the window.
>I will check out many of the suggested colliding parts that you have all
>mentioned.
>
>Thanks,
>Mike Erickson, Tucson
>----------------------------

"Tunings are like bridges... Some are more exceptional than others, but
they all get the job done."

Eric Leatha, RPT
Portland, OR
tunrboy@teleport.com