Damper Lever Rebuild (tad long)

[Farrell]

I considered new levers and flanges, but the new levers have the new flanges
with the offset holes that move the flange and hence the lever over a tad
and screw up damper and spoon alignment. And yup on the other stuff. Thanks.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <rbrekne@broadpark.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2001 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: Damper Lever Rebuild (tad long)


> Why not buy new ones... but if you must. I use a filed down pair of needle
nosed
> pliers.. pretty thinned nose. I can almost always pull the flange cord out
with
> the spring still on, then just seperate the two. Once in a while I have to
> resort to slicing the cord first.... but not very often. Installing new
cord I
> am sure you know the trick about pulling back the outside layer of the
cord and
> cutting away the core about an inch back, then using some super glue or
> something to fashion a short hard point to run through the flange. I swab
the
> inside of the flange hole with watered down white glue myself. You dont
really
> need much to hold it. I am not sure you need any really.
>
>
>
> Farrell wrote:
>
> > I have several questions regarding rebuilding upright damper levers. I
need
> > to replace all damper lever springs and felt. Anyone willing to help?
> >
> > 1) Damper spring flange cord. What is the best way to remove it? I tried
> > pushing it through - just jammed up in the spring area and......(flange
is
> > now in vice with tite-bond). Is there a handy way to pull it through? Or
> > should it be cut with a razor at the spring and then pushed? I did take
the
> > steel center pin out first (I assume that is the way to start at least).
> >
> > 2) The cord in the one flange I have removed appears to not have been
glued
> > in place - is this OK to reproduce when installing the new cord?
> >
> > 3) Should the new cord simply be pulled through and cut to length? If it
is
> > not glued in, is it not going to crunch up inside when I try to install
> > center pin? Is there some procedural trick to getting new cord and pin
in?
> > Or should I glue it in regardless of whether it was originally glued in
or
> > not?
> >
> > 4) There is a creased little round piece of felt/cloth at the lever top
> > where the top of the spring rubs against the lever. Some levers do not
have
> > cloth, instead they have a direct wire-to-graphited wood contact. Do I
need
> > the felt/cloth? Can I just remove it and put some dag on the groove in
> > lever? If it is best to replace felt/cloth, what should it be replaced
with?
> > I do not find any such identified thing in the catalogs.
>
> Generally if there was cloth to begin with, then you need it there. Easy
enough
> to fashion out of regular bushing cloth. You should have a circle or oval
felt
> punch tho... available from most piano tech supply houses. ( I make all my
own
> balance rail and front rail bushings with a similiar tool) Levers that
dont have
> the felt from before you can opt to put it in I suppose, but the other way
> around will require that you make sure the groove is smooth enough.
>
> >
> > 5) What kind of felt/cloth is used at the bottom of the lever where the
> > damper lift rod and damper spoons push against the damper lever?
>
> You should use good felt. Grin. Ususally 2-3 mm medium firm.. like the
stuff
> lots of  back rail cloth is made of... only much thinner. (not the reall
dense
> stuff...)
>
> > 6) What kind of bushing felt/cloth should be used in the damper lift rod
> > bushing holder thingees? Is there any source for older style bushing
holder
> > thingees? I know they have the newer ones in the catalogs, but I will
have
> > to chisel/rout a new spot for these if I need to convert. My original
ones
> > have a round base and appear to be made of copper or brass.
>
> I use a really firm cashmir. At least 1 mm thick. And I rub a good deal of
> teflon powder into it.
>
> >
> > I know cloth is woven. How does felt differ? How to tell the difference
when
> > examining old cloth/felt?
>
> Dont really know the answer to this... like its never been a need to know
thing
> for me... but I would be interested to know. I do know you can rip good
cashmir
> on a straight line... which is very handy.
>
> > An aside - but related topic:
>
> One thing at a time... One thing at a time.... :)
>
> >
> > I am engaged in doing a partial rebuild of an upright action. The lady
is
> > pretty sure that she will go ahead with rebuilding the entire piano in
the
> > next few years -
>
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
>
>
>