damper felts too wide

[Joe And Penny Goss]

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Hi Tom,
In a pinch one can slip a piece of sandpaper between the dampers and =
pull out a few times to get the dampers to clear. I have used this idea =
on drop actions where I did not want to pull the action. On these I used =
a 1/32" X 1 1/2" X  8"  steel file that I purchased at a convention =
years ago for hammer shaping. Two grits on the same side on different =
ends, 80 and 120 or so.
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Tvak@aol.com=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 2:09 PM
  Subject: damper felts too wide


  List

  Kimball grand, circa 1930 or so.  Bottom 5 or 6 dampers won't dampen.  =
They seem to descend slowly...except when lifted by the damper pedal.  =
Then, they all plop right down and dampen just fine.  Upon further =
examination, I find that if I hold the adjacent dampers away, I can get =
any of them to dampen just fine when lifted by the key.  Looks as if the =
damper felts are in contact with one another, and when lifted singly, =
the friction from the adjacent damper felt is enough to slow its descent =
and make it not dampen properly.  These are monochord dampers, and =
through the ages, I think they've spread a little.  (It's happening to =
me...why not a damper felt?)

  Assuming that this is the proper diagnosis of the problem, what would =
you recommend using to narrow the offending damper felts?  Some =
possibilities in my feeble mind include:
       1.  Using sandpaper to file them.
       2.  I don't think I could razor blade them neatly enough...
       3.  Ironing them...?
       4.  Squeezing them with a pliers.
       5.  Alcohol and a heat gun.
       6.  Just a gun.  (Aimed at my right temple. That'll stop those =
bass strings from ringing!)

  I'm pretty sure that I've correctly analyzed the problem, but can =
anyone think of another reason these dampers will dampen as a group, but =
not individually?  The damper rod is not holding them too high.  They =
are not misaligned.  There is not much follow through, but they dampen =
fine as a group.  There is sufficient lift of the dampers from either =
the pedal or the key. =20

  Thanks in advance for any ideas, suggestions...or guns.

  Tom Sivak 
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