Young Chang Sticking Keys

[KeyKat88 at aol.com]

Greetings Joe,

          The first thing I do when a key sticks is to place my finger under 
the wippen. If the wippen moves freely and kicks the jack up to hit the but, 
and the hammer plays, then I know it is the key that is sticking. Then I test 
the key, usually thats where it is sticking. If the key doesnt move up and down 
bu the wippen and all that comes after it in the power chain, then It could 
be the key bushing, either at the balance rail or the front rail. In that case 
ease the bushing. 

         If the wippen is the difficult one to move with my finger then, I 
examine the jack to see if that bushing isnt swelled, or if the jack flange 
hasnt come unglued. You can also try to just move the hammer, gently with your 
finger, by giving it a little push. If the hammer is stuck, then it could be the 
hammer bushing (center pin bushing in butt) that is swelled. On Chickering and 
some Kimball consoles these hammer butt bushings have a tendency to absorb 
the atmostpheric moisture and swell. In that case they should be treated with a 
few drops of alcohol to water mixture. (about 1 to 5 ratio respectively) (some 
use 1 to 10 or less) 

Sometimes I have found the keysticks warped/twisted so badly and out of shape 
that their backs were rubbing one another on the sides. And once I found the 
very top key (c) was rubbing on a small block of wood which was attatched to 
the cheek block!! I simply sanded it down.  

     The key is to isolate the sticking part in the power chain. key, wippen, 
jack, hammer butt. Not necissarily in that order.  (I usuallly start with the 
wippen, as described above)  Also, sometimes pencils, small toys or other 
things that drop inside the piano could be the culprit. Once there was a quarter 
stuck between two keys in a grand piano so far down that the keyboard looked 
normal, I didnt see it untill I had the whole action drawer slid out! 

Julia Gottshall
Reading, PA      
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