If the only problem is the backchecks being too high and the wippen felt being too thick (some Steinway elevations create this problem) then just peel a bit of felt off the wippen rest cushion (if they are the Renner type) and either try and lower the back checks by pressing them down using a drill press (though that can be difficult once the backcheck wires are bent) or replace (if the backcheck leather is worn) with a new set of backchecks. They don't have to be the oversized type you only need to be sure that the wire is not too long so that you can press them in without the wire going through the bottom of the key. I usually use Renner or Tokiwa backchecks. The dark brown leather backchecks are older ones but not the original ones and were probably installed some time ago. When the key is fully depressed and prior to let off the top of the backcheck should be no higher than the tip of the hammer tail and preferably the tail should be a mm or two higher than the top of the backcheck. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com From: David Ilvedson [mailto:ilvey at sbcglobal.net] Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 10:51 PM To: davidlovepianos at comcast.net Subject: 234 Steinway B List, I'm working with a older Steinway B...new action. I've have been trying to figure what is with the action...? What I found is the blow distance is maybe 44 mm/approximately. Hammers on the wippen felts (tapping behind the balance rail makes no hammer movement, moving jack makes no hammer movement). Aftertouch is plenty. I thought about removing some wippen felt, but the hammers (especially in the tenor) are touching or nearly touching the backchecks. There are brown marks on tenor hammers where they are impacting the backchecks. So it seems the backchecks are too high...when I depress a key fully the backcheck is higher than the bottom of the tail, maybe 5 or 6 mm. I can't regulate the blow distance to specs without removing wippen fellt and then the hammers will be on the backchecks. This seems mostly in the tenor...but close through out... I went ahead, temporarily and raised the capstans slightly so I could regulate wippen height, align jacks...most too far under the knuckle, just to see if I could improve the action response...a little better. How would I lower the backchecks...seem like cowhide (brown rough leather)? I remember a technique of using a drill press to push the backchecks farther down on the wire? Maybe new backchecks with good buckskin would be a good idea? If new, should they be Steinway style...bigger? The hammer tails might be longer than regular Steinway hammers? Thanks in advance for any advice... David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech_ptg.org/attachments/20090418/2005cba1/attachment-0001.html>
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