S&S center pinning/ was Re: Don't SAY IT ALL!!!!!

[J Patrick Draine]

Dear Ed et al:
This past weekend I attended a seminar given by Eric Schandall, S&S 
Field Representative. He made some comments relating to the 
phenomenon you wrote about below.
He said the "sizing solution" you mention is Emralon aka a teflon 
solution. He disavowed using Protek for the problem, and I thought he 
recommended against the use of the usual alcohol solutions. He did 
suggest the use of "Heet", a fuel line de-icer. Another brand of 
de-icer, "DryGas", was mentioned by a tech at the seminar but I think 
Eric was reluctant to second that suggestion because he was 
unfamiliar with that particular formulation.
I'll cc: this to Eric to see if my memory is true.

Patrick Draine
>
>
>   So, to that end, I have just learned some useful information. 
>   Many of us have had to deal with pinning problems in the newer Steinway
>pianos.  The problems are usually pins that are tightening up, creating a lot
>of friction.  This seems to be mostly in the hammer pinning, though jacks are
>in there, too.  I was told, on good authority, that the problem stemmed from
>the factory attempting to use larger pins, and treating the cloth with more
>"reducer" or "sizing solution" to arrive at the correct friction. The felt
>was thus made much denser in order to shrink it enough.  This worked until
>there was exposure to humidity,and then the overly compacted cloth began to
>swell, creating the problems.
>    On factory advice, I used the alcohol treatment on a row of tight hammer
>flanges, and the next day, there was a tremendous amount of erratic pinning.
>Many of the pins were loose enough to allow the hammers to visibly move
>(laterally) when resting on a long screwdriver that was wiggled side to side.
>As Roger might say, "the tone was gone".  Jolly well right!
>      The only real fix that I found was to repin, and to pin at the loose end
>of the scale, at that. ( I use the swing test, feeling that the heavier
>hammer can perform well with slightly more friction in the pinning.)
>   I am told that the pinning  now is being done with smaller pins, and more
>resilience left in the bushing cloth.  Have others noticed any difference?
>Regards,
>Ed Foote RPT