touchweight analysis

[Farrell]

Hi Richard. Two questions:

> Stannwoodised actions ?? .. If you do a Stannwood job just right...(and I
> believe that means employing Jon Pages capstan placement proceedure at
least as
> a reference if not a determinant) Then they just are wonderfull if you ask
me. I
> have done my third now and I am starting to get a "touch picture" in my
mind and
> fingers that seems to result from about a 5.2 KR (all other geometry
things
> being taken as pretty close to optimal mind you) The S&S I just got
finished
> with at the UiB got rave reviews... they just love it.

David was questioning how the actions feel when the support springs are
installed on the whippens. Have your three actions been equipped with the
whippen assist springs? I have never tried a keyboard with those installed.

Regarding Jon Page's capstan placement proceedure. Is this something you
have that you could share? I do not recall seeing a post on that. Maybe my
delete finger got over-anxious one day. Sounds very interesting. Jon?
Richard?  ???????

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <rbrekne@broadpark.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2001 3:10 AM
Subject: Re: touchweight analysis


>
>
> David Love wrote:
>
> > Richard:
> >
> > First I replaced the whippens (the old ones were shot anyway) with
Renner
> > universal with an offset heel set in the forward position.  The original
key
> > ratio was about .61 throughout so I moved the capstan as far as I could
> > without compromising the regulation too much.  I didn't want to go
beyond
> > .400 dip and wanted to keep the blow distance fairly standard, thus, I
could
> > only get the key ratio down to .57.
> >
>
> Too bad you couldnt get them down a bit lower... but then Jon keeps
telling me
> the KR isnt so important. He says the ideal position for the capstan is
simply a
> given for any given action. You just manually find it and go with it. I
> understand his point...but on the other hand that leverage at  that point
is
> real handy to have if you can get it. :)
>
> >
> > The strike weights were on the low end in bass going to high in the
treble.
> > Since the key ratio was fairly high I needed to keep the SW's low in
order
> > to avoid excess front weighting.  The bass section was almost right and
just
> > needed to be smoothed out.  The transition to higher SW's started around
> > note 33, so starting there I took some weight off the hammers going all
the
> > way to the top.  By note 50 I was removing about a gram and a bit over
that
> > in the last octave.  The SW of Note #1 was 10.3 and note #88 4.8.  The
> > leading pattern ended up a more standard 3-2-1-0 with front weights
> > comfortably under the maximums as outlined by David Stanwood's table.
The
> > action regulated with dip of .395" and blow of 1.75".
>
> I guess they started low. I suppose you had no choice then.. considering
the KR
> problem. In the end tho just the smoothing out to a nice even curve is
going to
> help alot.  How did you figure your front weights....the old weighing off
style
> ??. And what did you end up with for a ratio in all this ? I would love to
see
> your revised samples values for BW, FW and the rest. Fun to see how others
solve
> problems... :)
>
> >
> > The action played much more fluidly with less effort and the customer (a
> > concert level pianist) was pleased with the improvement.  Though I think
> > this was the best solution under the circumstances, it was not the most
> > ideal action.  High KR and low SW's, though necessary to get any kind of
> > normal feel in this action, is not the most ideal solution for me.  The
> > alternative (short of remaking the keys) was to put on an assist spring
but,
> > I admit, as someone with a fair amount of pianistic skill, I am not yet
sold
> > on how these actions feel.
>
> Stannwoodised actions ?? .. If you do a Stannwood job just right...(and I
> believe that means employing Jon Pages capstan placement proceedure at
least as
> a reference if not a determinant) Then they just are wonderfull if you ask
me. I
> have done my third now and I am starting to get a "touch picture" in my
mind and
> fingers that seems to result from about a 5.2 KR (all other geometry
things
> being taken as pretty close to optimal mind you) The S&S I just got
finished
> with at the UiB got rave reviews... they just love it. You no doubt made a
big
> improvement in the evenness of the action in addition to the rest, and
that
> helps one heck of a lot
>
> >
> > Not bad for a beginner, eh?
>
> Grin... a beginner like myself me thinks. Glad to hear of your success.
Did you
> ever get any real advice from David S. ?
>
> > David Love
> >
>
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
>
>