Square Grand Flanges/adjustable

[Farrell]

> It takes
> only a few minutes to get all of the hammer flange resistance where it
needs
> to be, which is essential to the playability of them.

And where might that be? Like a modern grand, i.e. about 5 grams friction?
How do you gauge friction/resistance/tightness on these?

> Also, set the lost motion up as you would for a spinet.

I'm not to the point of regulation yet, but I just had the action in the
piano with a few keys yesterday, checking for hammer alignment with some
slightly adjusted string positions (YEAH! I fixed a manufacturing error! I
relocated about a dozen strings in the area of the tight bend on the long
bridge - they were displaced one whole string toward the treble end. I had
to rout out 1/2" thick slab of the old bridge in this area and replaced with
quarter-sawn piece of hard maple.) While I was looking at this amazingly
simple setup with the jack directly attached to the key, I wondered about
the lost motion adjustment. I suppose I will sound ignorant here, but how is
lost motion adjustment different on a spinet than on any other upright. I
usually just try to have the slightest detectable bit of play - enough that
you can see the wippen move before the hammer butt, but not so much that you
can feel it. How do you set the square/spinet?

Also, there is not easy adjustment for blow distance - short of shimming the
hammer rest rail, or adjusting the thickness of the hammer rest rail felt.
What are the guides here? Thanks.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Garrett" <joegarrett@earthlink.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2001 1:03 PM
Subject: Square Grand Flanges/adjustable


> Terry,
> As I work on a lot of those cranky critters called Square Grands, I
consider
> the adjustable flange the best thing that came out of that "can o' worms".
> <grin> Those flanges are very easy to adjust, but it takes practice, just
> like everything else we do. I use a short thin bladed screwdriver. It
takes
> only a few minutes to get all of the hammer flange resistance where it
needs
> to be, which is essential to the playability of them. I have seen this
> system used on a few Uprights also. Unfortunately, the production, of
these
> flanges, are/were very expensive to make, hence the idea was discarded.
Alas
> and alack! :-(
> Please keep in mind that the resistance is needed for a more speedy, (?),
> return of the jack to playing position. The proper amount makes the Square
> Grand play better. Too little and the hammer bounces around like jello and
> the jack gets confused. :-) Of course, too much and the dern thing hangs
up.
> Also, set the lost motion up as you would for a spinet. I hope this helps
> any of you that have the intestinal fortitude to work on Squares.
> Best Regards,
> Joe Garrett, Oregon (that's Or-E-Gun)
>
>