Elbow job

[West Britt]

Dave,
     I just installed the action into the piano after replacing the  
elbows and damper flanges on the bench.  It took me 30 minutes to get  
in the door, greet the husband that I had not previously met, install  
the action into the Winter spinet and set lost motion.  On about a  
dozen notes the hammers were held off of the rest rail and the rest  
were close or had slightly too much lost motion.  The wooden nuts  
moved freely and I did not have to use Protek on them.  I then  
centered the dampers on the strings.  Previously in the shop, after  
installing the levers back on the action rail with the new flanges I  
visually aligned them with each other using wire bending pliers.    
and tuned the piano to A440.  After tuning I set damper lift from the  
pedal.  I got lucky and the damper lift from the spoons were all fine  
and did not need adjusting.  All told it took me 3.75 hours to do all  
of the above work in the customers home.  My initial service call I  
introduced myself, sold the job, removed the action and vacuumed out  
the case, replaced a broken treble string and cleaned the keys.  That  
took 1.5 hours.  I spent 2 hours replacing elbows and 3 hours  
replacing damper flanges and 15 minutes or so tightening screws and  
blowing out the action in the shop.  I also shot all of the flanges  
with Protek right before installing it.   So total time spent was  
10.5 hours including tuning and I charged accordingly.  I'm happy,  
they are happy, and the little girl has functional piano to practice on.

Britt





Britt,

Good tips.

How much damper wire regulation was involved after the action was  
back in the piano?  The piano I just worked on had plastic damper  
flanges, too.  At least the levers are wood.....;-)  I may see if  
they can fit it into their budget next year, or when the first  
breakage occurs.

Thanks,

Dave Stahl

Dave Stahl Piano Service
650-224-3560
dstahlpiano at sbcglobal.net
http://dstahlpiano.net/





-----Original Message-----
From: brittsam at charter.net
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2007 7:29 PM
Subject: RE: Elbow job

      I just replaced the plastic elbows on a Winter spinet this  
week.  It took a little less than 2 hours.  I use the Vagias snap on  
elbows from Pianotek (# EL-S).  I had the action in a cradle on the  
bench.  I first clamped some vice grip pliers on the wire snug up  
against the old elbow on note 1.  I squeezed the old elbow with  
alligator pliers right in the whippen mortise around the center pin  
and the old elbow crumbled off (on all 88).  Be careful not to damage  
the mortise.  If the elbows do not break off use end nip pliers.   
Holding the wire or vice grips I then broke off or twisted off the  
old elbow and spun the new one up to the vice grips.  With the Vagais  
elbows there is no need to repin the whip mortises.  You just snap  
them on to the old center pin and move on to the next one.  There is  
no need to remove the whips.  As you work be awa! re of wasted  
motion, and when removing the vice grips from one wire clamp them  
onto the next instead of setting them down on the bench.  I do,  
however, set down the alligator pliers after removing the old elbow  
from the whip.  This will help speed up the process without having to  
hurry.  The reason for using the vice grips is so that when you put  
the action back in the piano the lost motion will be close to where  
it was before and save time in setting it.
      While you are at it,  call the customer and tell them that it  
will be cheaper for them to let you go ahead and replace the plastic  
damper flanges that are frequently on these pianos as well.  I use  
Pianotek #PW-DF10 standard damper flanges for most.   This will save  
you from breaking one while putting the action back in the piano and  
do them the service of not having continuous damper problems when  
they start breaking as well.  It took me 3 hours for this and I would  
be glad to detail the procedure if anyone was interested.
     I hope this helps,

      Britt West
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