Grand Knuckles

[Frank Weston]

By the time you get through carefully removing the old hammers from the
shanks, cleaning the shanks, repining the flanges, and bolstering or
replacing the knuckles, your expense in time will equal or exceed the
wholesale cost of a new set of shanks and flanges.  Why not just go with
new parts?  For about the same cost, the results will be far more uniform,
performance will probably be better, and the teacher will get a lot more
life out of the piano.  As an added bonus, the piano will be out of
commission for a shorter period of time.

Frank Weston

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> From: DChadPiano@AOL.COM
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Grand Knuckles
> Date: Sunday, February 21, 1999 11:40 PM
> 
> Hello all...
> I’m rejuvenating an action from a Knabe Baby Grand owned by
> very busy music teacher. There is no serial number visible due to
> recent refinishing but I estimate it to be built in the 1960s-70s. They
> have agreed to have a decent set of hammer replacements,  key
> rebushing and I’m repining the hammer shanks to flanges. The
> knuckles have suffered especially within the center 3 octaves and
> my question is...is there any materials or procedures that are good
> for bolstering the uneven knuckle and maintain a good “roll” and
> shape. I’ll admit that I dont perform this a lot and
> found no real application to semi-restore the shape with yarn,
> action cloth strips etc. I hate to stab at it without first finding any
> input. Any suggestions? I’m sure that replacement knuckles would
> be the answer but this is a music teacher and it always seems to be
> that they are maintaining on a budget. What’s new! 
> Thank for any suggestions!
> 
> David Chadwick RPT	
> Las Vegas, NV