Steinway Old Action Picture [was Steinway action noise]

[John Delacour]

At 21:41 +0100 21/11/07, Richard Brekne wrote:

>Like I said... if the new whippens end up being exactly the same 
>dimensions as the old ones and the reason for the spread problem is 
>the hammer shank and flanges... then I would make every attempt to 
>address them and leave the whippen alone.

Frankly I am more interested in what experienced Steinway technicians 
do and have done since time immemorial and I refer you to the posting 
below from Francisco Motta which lends sanction, if any were needed, 
to common practice.

Since you use your buzz-word "spread" and talk of the "spread 
problem", you will of course be able to give an explanation, 
supported by real numbers, of what problems you suppose will ensue 
from using this time-honoured procedure, and let me give you a start 
: your blessed "spread", by which I presume you mean the distance 
from hammer-centre to lever-centre, will be precisely what it was in 
the original.  There therefore IS no "spread problem".  For you now 
to give precise figures for the disastrous results that will ensue 
from packing the lever flange.  Until you are able to do that I see 
no point in reading your long effusions, which I rarely do anyway. 
Unless you can give figures, as I can, your opinions are just so much 
verbiage.

JD



At 15:05 -0200 17/11/07, Francisco Motta, afinador de pianos wrote:

>Max Matthias in the "Steinway service Manual"
>Replacing action parts on older grands:
>Whenever new hammers along with shanks and butt flanges are fitted 
>on older grands the distance between the shank center and roller 
>will require checking. This determines the point of attachment of 
>the fly. Over the years, certain modifications have been made 
>resulting in older action parts becoming obsolete. These are no 
>longer stocked by us, neither are they manufactured by the Renner 
>Corporation.
>Technicians should observe the rules applying to fly adjustments. 
>The rear edge of the fly should coincide with the rear edge of the 
>wood spring inside the roller. Owing to this not always being 
>possible on older grand actions using new hammer shanks, it will be 
>foound necessary to insert a 1 mm thick strip of veneer or cardboard 
>underneath the lever flanges (refer to sketch). This will compensate 
>the difference in clearance between the center and roller, whi1e 
>facilitating regulation to the repetition action (refer to Fig. 15).