Damper Tray Problem/missing spring?

[Greg Newell]

Tom,
         I ran into a problem like this somewhat 
recently but my memory is poor. It seems to me 
that there was a trap work problem. The trap work 
as I recall was a cast iron arrangement that, as 
it happens, had deeply worn pedal spring leather 
which didn't allow for complete return of the 
tray. The spring were of the flat spring type and 
buried rather weell under the trapwork arms. If 
your trap work has complicated cast iron looking 
pieces, take it all apart and be prepared to 
replace at least some of the leather and 
reinstall with a good dose of VJ lube for 
prevention of squeaks and future wear. Hope this helps.

best,
Greg Newell



At 08:46 AM 8/6/2006, you wrote:
>No, on second thought there are no damper 
>springs.  I would have noticed them when putting 
>the damper wires in.  That ain't it.
>
>I've got limited time to get this fixed.  Let me try again.
>
>Mason AA, total rebuild, now in the process of 
>regulating.  Damper tray won't stay down, in 
>contact with pitman, but hangs in the air, 
>actually holding the dampers up off the 
>strings.  I can push the tray down till it 
>contacts the pitman and there seems to be very 
>little resistance when doing so, but it pops 
>back up again, almost like being on a spring.
>
>Maybe is there a spring missing that I don't 
>know about?  Should there be a spring that holds 
>the tray in the downward position that perhaps 
>has come off sometime during the restringing, etc.?
>
>My knowledge of damper actions is limited, so 
>forgive my maive question.  Not sure how to 
>solve this problem, and it's a big one.  Piano 
>is unplayable with many strings ringing 
>on.  (All the dampers dampen perfectly if I 
>simply hold the tray down and allow them to rest 
>on the strings like they should.)
>
>Help, please!
>
>Tom Sivak
>
>A440A at aol.com wrote:
>
><< Wha'ts up with this? I can't imagine that there actually IS a spring in
>there, holding the tray up. If anything, I would expect there to be a spring
>holding the tray DOWN, allowing it to be lifted by the pedal, and then return
>downward with the aid of a spring. >>
>
>Greetings,
>this is a common problem where there are damper springs in place. If
>an axis is shared by the underlever pinning and 
>the tray pivots, any underlever
>springs will try to rotate the tray upwards.
>Are there damper lever springs on this assembly?
>
>
>
>Ed Foote RPT
>http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
>www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>

Greg Newell
Greg's Piano Forté
mailto:gnewell at ameritech.net
www.gregspianoforte.com  
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