Spring Conundrum

Delwin D Fandrich pianobuilders@olynet.com
Tue, 3 Oct 2000 22:41:56 -0700


----- Original Message -----
From: <RustRazor@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: October 03, 2000 2:23 PM
Subject: Spring Conundrum


> I'd like to pull on your coats about something...
>
> I'm regulating an action from a Baldwin grand and have run into a rather
odd
> situation with the rep. spring.  If I set the hop to a nice positive lift,
> the hammer shank will fall when I trip the jack with my finger.  If I set
the
> spring to support the shank after tripping the jack, the hop has a serious
> kick.  This condition is throughout the action.
>
> Any ideas?...

------------------------------------------------

Yup! You've discovered the Baldwin Conundrum, all right.

You've had lots of good advice in the various posts in response to your
question. When all is said and done, however, you're going to find that no
matter what you do you're going to have a nice positive lift and the
hammershank will fall when you trip the jack with your finger.

I've never taken the time to figure out just what the problem is with that
particular action design, but from time to time you'll come across one that
responds this way. Not all Baldwin actions do this, but when you come across
one that does there is not much you're going to be able to do about it.

So...after you do all the things all those nice folks have suggested and
find that none of them work just set the jack height by running your finger
across the top of the repetition lever and adjust the screw so that the jack
is exactly flush with the top side of the lever. If you don't trust your
finger then make a small, very flat, stick just as wide as the repetition
lever and lightly drag it across the top of the repetition lever setting the
jack so that your stick just brushes its top as it crosses.

Don't worry, the action will work fine in actual use.

Regards,

Del



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