damper leads

[Kent Swafford]

Mark Graham wrote:

>I am having a problem with small lead weights falling out of the damper
>underlevers on our many Kawai grands. The holes have enlarged, and even at
>this time of year when I push the weights back in they are sometimes
>loose. Is there an easy technique to size the holes or whatever, that
>doesn't involve removing the parts?
>
>Mark Graham
>Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music


This problem is a real pet peeve of mine. I put some inward facing 
"spikes" on the tips of the jaws of a pair of parallel pliers (similar to 
#282 in the Schaff tool catalog) to swedge these small damper leads. The 
tool is tricky because it has to be able to slide in between the 
underlevers under the top flanges to get at the 2nd and 3rd leads. I 
tried to interest some of the tool makers in creating this tool, but they 
seemed to think the problem was not widespread enough to warrant the 
development of a special tool, and they also thought that this would be a 
"warranty situation" anyway. (I replied that a few squeezes with some 
pliers would be easier than making a call to arrange for warranty 
work...) I have seen this problem myself on Steinways, Yamahas, and Young 
Changs. Thank you for adding Kawai to my list. 

Kent Swafford