brass hammer rails repair or replace?

[Susan Kline]

Hi, Andy & Chris

I think, in your place, that I'd choose to

>buy some new butts and "convert" the action to a 'flange type"(it is
>possible I think) it does need new butts and hammers anyway.

I wouldn't go with the normal (pretty lousy) supply house butts and
flanges. I'd probably either buy them from Renner or from Yamaha or from
Kawai. I'd choose a hammer compatible with the age and type of piano,
probably a cold press hammer like Ronsen. I'd work to make the weight
compatible with the original hammers, and I'd consider tapering the sides
of the hammer tails progressively in the upper treble, which I've often
seen on decent old uprights with good-sounding trebles.

If you're going to go to all this work, you might as well pay a little more
for parts, and end up with a good quality result. Good flanges should stand
up to the strains from mechanical playing. The great tone says that it is
fit for the effort. 

Susan

At 12:45 PM 9/14/98 -0500, Andy wrote:
>Hi
>I just acquired a nice old Baldwin Ellington upright, A very pretty tiger
>Oak piano, great tone. it was Free and now I know why.
>
>This piano will most likely become a orchestration (I make all the
>components myself but the spoolframe) so it will most likely get some hard
>use.
>
>The piano action has a brass hammer butt flange, YUCK! and some hammers are
>falling out and getting loose. its terrible! This is the first Baldwin
>upright I have ever seen with this type of hammer mounting all the rest I
>have seen have flanges!
>
>I have a few choices to make and I am in need of advice.
>
>repair the brass rail?
>replace the brass rail?
>buy some new butts and "convert" the action to a 'flange type"(it is
>possible I think) it does need new butts and hammers anyway.
>forget this piano and choose another?
>
>Thanks in advance
>Andy Taylor
>PPD....(player piano dude)
>
>
>

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