Action mounted to rubber?

[John Freeman]

Wallace Scherer wrote:
> 
> Hey everybody, I could use some help with this one.
> 
> Last week I was in a customer's home working on her Wurlitzer console. This
> is the one where the action is fastened to the frame with long screws with
> spacers. After some minor work to the action, I was reinstalling the four
> screws. The first three seemed to be going in fine, but the one farthest to
> the right felt a little rubbery. It was going in, but a bit tighter than
> the other ones, and seemed to spring back a bit after each turn. With just
> about and inch left to go, it suddenly freed up - broke off down inside the
> hole, behind the plate.
> 
> I showed the problem to the owner, secured the other three screws well, and
> showed her that it still worked, though the action did flex a bit when
> stepping on the sustain pedal. At least the sustain pedal didn't creak like
> it did before, which I think was caused by misalignment of this action
> screw. I told her I would have to get back with her when I figured what to
> do about the broken off screw.
> 
> The mounting bracket on the action didn't seem to line up very well with
> the hole in the plate when I sighted along it. The other three lined up
> fine. The end of the broken off screw is about 1/4 of an inch behind the
> back of the plate.
> 
> Any ideas as to what to do? I suspect a manufacturing defect, but the piano
> is too old for any manufacturer (now Baldwin) corrections, I would suppose.
> 
> Wally Scherer
> Norfolk, VA, USA
> E-mail me at WallyTS@iName.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
For some period of time Wurlitzer drilled the action bolt holes below
the top of the action brackets.  This made is necessary to tip the
screwdriver end on the bolt up to start and the bolt then screwed in, in
a curved rotating configuration.  So many of these broke that Wurlitzer
made a tool to retreive the broken bolt from the piano.  This tool would
retreive even if the bolt was flush or down in the wood slightly.  You
might check with Baldwin and see if they can supply one since they now
own the Wurlitzer name.  Incidently the short bolt went to the treble
end.  John Freeman  Muncie, Indiana