Spring behaviour

Jon Page jonpage@attbi.com
Tue, 22 Oct 2002 15:09:12 -0400


Great Dremel Tool tip, Ed; thanks.

I'd like to add one of my procedures for cleaning the slot of old caked-on 
grease:

With the springs 'up-and-out-of-the-way', I use a handle from a mute. The 
point has been blunted
and the wire bent into a "J". This reaches between the wips and plows out 
the crud.

A dab of lube on the spring and carefully reinstall the spring.

Another lubrication process is to burnish the balancier. I use the curved 
end of an ivory clamping plate
to burnish the rep levers after applying a bit of Dag. Burnishing is done 
while supporting the lever with a spring tool.


I'll see your Dremel buffer and raise you a burnisher... :-)

Jon Page

At 01:49 PM 10/22/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>Jim writes:
>
> >When regulating an action one of the first things I do is clean out the
> > spring grooves and clean off the springs themselves ( a little alcohol
> >rag  makes this a quick job).
>
>Greetings,
>   I used to do something like this, but found what I think is a much faster
>way.  With the whippens still on the rail, go through and lift all the
>springs out of their slot and pull them up past the balancier. Drop a 1/4"
>dowel under them and then with the Dremel tool and its little felt buffing
>wheel, go down the line and just touch the tips.  A groove will form very
>quickly in the felt wheel and it will clean and polish all the tips like new.
>
>    The dowel keeps the springs from dropping back out of the way, and it 
> also
>keeps the wheel from hitting the balanciers. The rotation of the wheel is
>important, one way will grab the springs, the other just pushes them back
>against the dowel.
>    I also haven't seen problems with using a small dab of graphite paste on
>the tops of the springs, which is easy to apply while they are all resting on
>the dowel. After they are treated, it is a simple move of the spring tool to
>put them back in the slot without touching anything.   At the school, I have
>actions that were refurbished this way in 1984 and they are still in fine
>shape.
>Regards,
>Ed Foote RPT
>_______________________________________________
>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives



This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC