I'll bet Isacc has a supply in his piano hoard...he might part with them... '-] David Ilvedson, RPT Pacifica, CA 94044 ----- Original message ---------------------------------------- From: "William Truitt" <surfdog at metrocast.net> To: pianotech at ptg.org Received: 12/8/2009 2:58:26 AM Subject: Re: [pianotech] Replacing plastic elbows >Gee Wim, you have neglected one very important thing in your recommendation >of wooden elbows - the preservation of the heirloom value of the great >Lester spinet, a paradigm shifting instrument when it came to quality in >spinets. For myself, I search out only those very rare early plastic elbows >to replace the broken ones. I go so far as to have chemical testing done >to assure that these rare replacement elbows have that just right plastic >elasticity - you know, the kind that will shatter with a sideways glance. >That way I can tell my customer with a straight face that someday they will >be able to donate their Lester Betsy Ross spinet to a museum because it it's >elbow blood lines can be traced back to the beginning. > >I realize that this attention to detail places me in a small and very elite >cadre of Lester spinet restoration specialists that leaves the rest of you >mere mortals in the dust, but so be it. > >Wilberforce > >From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf >Of wimblees at aol.com >Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 4:22 AM >To: pianotech at ptg.org >Subject: Re: [pianotech] Replacing plastic elbows > >Greg > >You're probably not going to like what I'm about to suggest, because it's a >little more work, and goes everything else you've read. Vagias snap on >elbows are good for replacing a couple of elbows in the piano. But if you're >going to do a whole set, and you've got the action out of the piano anyway, >why not replace them with wood elbows. My arguments is, plastic was used >once, so why replace it with plastic. (I know, the new plastic won't >disintegrate like the new Vagias ones. But that's my story, and I'm sticking >to it.) >Lay the action on the bench, dampers down, and remove the center pins from >the wippens. It's not that difficult to do, once you get the hang of it. The >old elbows, or what's left of them, will fall right off. Before putting on >the new elbows, tighten all the screws, shape the hammers and blow out the >dust and dirt. >An easy way to put the new elbows on the sticker is to chuck the sticker >into a variable speed drill at the regulating button end. (Sometimes you've >got to screw down the regulating button a little to get enough into the >chuck). Put the elbow in a vice, and drill the sticker onto the new elbow. >Try to get the sticker about the same distance into each sticker, but don't >try to figure out which sticker goes to which wippen, because you're going >to have to regulate all of them anyway. Putting the stickers and new elbows >on the wippens is also a little tricky, but again, once you've done a couple >and get the hang of it, it's actually very easy. If you're careful, and >don't break any wippens, it only takes about 2 hours to do the whole job. > >Before replacing the action, you probably had to take the keys out. So >vacuum under the keys, and down in the bottom of the piano, to get rid of >all the plastic remnants of the elbows > >I haven't done a set for at least 10 years, but over the years, I've made a >lot of money from Betsy and her cousins. The total job, including replacing >the elbow, vacuuming, regulating, tightening the screws, etc. is worth at >least $500, plus tuning. As much as some people seem to belittle Betsy and >her cousins, some of those pianos weren't all that bad. If the case is still >in good shape, it would be well worth the money to spend on replacing the >elbows, as opposed to buying a new piano, or a decent used one. > >Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT >Piano Tuner/Technician >94-505 Kealakaa Str. >Mililani, Oahu, HI 96789 >808-349-2943 >www.Bleespiano.com <http://www.bleespiano.com/> >Author of: >The Business of Piano Tuning >available from Potter Press >www.pianotuning.com > >-----Original Message----- >From: Greg Livingston <pianotuner440 at hotmail.com> >To: Pianotech list <pianotech at ptg.org> >Sent: Mon, Dec 7, 2009 4:53 pm >Subject: [pianotech] Replacing plastic elbows >Dear Friends, >I have a Lester spinet action belonging to a long-time customer on my bench >(that is, my dining room table) that needs new elbows. I thought replacing >the original plastic elbows would be easy, but only the broken ones are >brittle; the unbroken ones are hard as concrete. How do you replace these? >Unpin them to put the new ones on? I don't want to risk breaking the wippen >by trying to bend the old plastic ones. I'd be grateful for your advice, and >my wife will be thrilled to get the dining room table back. >Thanks, >Greg Livingston >PS- I have not figured out how to search the archives, though I've tried; I >need help in that area, too. >___________________________________________________ >Gregory P. Livingston, Piano Tuning and Service 781-237-9178 >Piano Technicians Guild, associate member (Boston chapter) >* * * Always remember September 11, 2001 * * * > _____ >Chat with Messenger straight from your Hotmail inbox. Check it out ><http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/hotmail_bl1/hotmail_bl1.aspx?o >cid=PID23879::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-ww:WM_IMHM_4:092009> =
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