Before It Breaks

[Joseph Garrett]

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Z!,=20
Sounds like you're tilting at windmills on this one. To your question =
re. key forks, yes they are available from the suppliers. However, I =
think the Church needs to start a "Piano Fund" and you would do well to =
meet with the powers that be and impress on them the need for a better =
piano. (Perhaps a letter to the Elders would be more effective. =
Sometimes, if it's in writing, it gets their attention better.) Just =
some thoughts for a plan of action.
Regards,
Joe Garrett
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Z! Reinhardt=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 9:06 AM
  Subject: Before It Breaks


  Hi Everyone!
  =20
  The victim:  a cruel, crude spinet in a church
  The problem:  those little metal forks at the end of each key
  =20
  This is one of those thankless little spinets that has had a lot of =
maintenance work performed in the last few months after years of basic =
neglect.  (The church isn't ready to get rid of it yet.)  At one point =
before all this work, all of the keys "worked" in that if you hit them =
plenty hard, a note will sound accompanied by a chorus of clattering =
loose parts, and it will return to rest position to await the next blow. =
 What was happening was that all of the action screws were so loose that =
everything was allowed to flop where it will.  Furthermore, all of the =
keys were plenty sloppy with worn bushings and enlarged balance holes.
  =20
  First order of business -- tighten all those flange screws.  Do a =
rudimentary (very low-budget) regulation to improve the response.  But =
guess what -- the keys don't line up too well with the sticker wires =
with the little square rubber grommets in the middle section of the =
piano.  They want to lean to the right with enough force to cause =
binding at what is left of the bushings on one side.  Disconnect the =
wire and the key and the corresponding action parts regain their sloppy =
characteristics.
  =20
  Found that I could greatly reduce the binding problem by very slightly =
tilting the fork with a pair of pliers so the corresponding key is not =
so prone to leaning.  Some of the little forks offered plenty of =
resistance to being tilted.  Others felt like they were getting ready to =
break.  They are just little pieces of stamped metal that appear to have =
been inserted on the vertical, then twisted most of the way but not =
quite enough to horizontal.
  =20
  In the event that one of those little forks does break ...
  =20
  Are replacement forks available from any of the supply houses?
  Does anyone have a cute trick for extracting the pieces out of the end =
of a key without doing too much damage to the key?
  Does anyone have any ideas ... oh stupid me, I should have thought of =
bending the sticker wires with the damper wire pliers ... unless someone =
has a better idea on how to correct this situation  very efficiently.
  =20
  (No, I am not looking for ways to efficiently implode this spinet to =
make it easier to haul away.)
  =20
  Thanks for your ideas --
  Z! Reinhardt  RPT
  Ann Arbor  MI
  diskladame@provide.net

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