Regulation cheating

[Jon Page]

Lots of good suggestions but...
You can't set key height without first tending to lost motion.

You can't tend to lost motion without first determining if doing so
will lift the dampers too early, especially if you need to shorten
blow distance to the spec 1 5/8".

You can't do any of the above if the pin block is pulling away from the back.
One telltale sign is that if the bass dampers are lifting late.

First, if there's felt covering the top use a pallet knife to feel 
for a separation.
If there's a thin plywood covering, remove it with a chisel to inspect the top.
Don't forget the bottom.

If there's separation, clamp together as much as possible and install bolts
in the screw holes.  If not...

Set hammer blow, adjust lost motion, set key height to re-establish dip.

Baldwins have a screw-supported balance rail. Under strategic Bb's there
is a hole in the rail to access the head of the screw which adjusts 
rail height.
Somewhere midpoint of these screws (and at the ends) are screws which
secure the rail downwards, loosen these first to allow the rail to rise as you
turn up the riser screws.

A quick, easy way to calibrate this (if things are not too far askew) 
is to hold down
a sharp and turn up the riser screw until the natural is the 
appropriate distance
below the depressed sharp. Said another way, until the height of the depressed
sharp is the appropriate distance above the natural. Do this at every 
riser screw.
Check dip on naturals. Check dip on sharps. Snug hold-down screws. Recheck dip.
This will avoid handling punchings and is useful for a quick approximation.
If the backchecks are even, the dip on sharps and naturals will produce
the same check distance.

If you can't seem to stop yourself, adjust the let off with a straight edge
positioned between the rest rail and shanks, supporting the hammers at L/O.
Don't forget to tighten and set location of L/O rail.

Heck, you've gone this far, adjust damper lift to the pedal and then 
adjust the spoons. You're on a roll...may as well spot level some 
keys... tighten bench bolts...
whew, I'm tired just thinking about it.  Then after lunch...
-- 

Regards,

Jon Page