[pianotech] Lost motion in Spinets

[Tom Driscoll]

Julia,
Pushing down on the back of the key was Matthews technique in his post.If the back of the key is lowered ,the backrail cloth is compressed,the key drops,the capstan drops, the whippen drops and the backcheck will follow ---lost motion or not. Tap ,push ,knock, bash or whatever that test has nothing to do with diagnosing lost motion.
My method is to tap the back of the key as described across a section after raising the capstans . That way any winking hammers reveal themselves .If a shank is on the rail the hammer will not move and  if the jack is just about  touching the butt there will be little or no lost motion.
    Try it. Turn up a capstan until the shank is off the rest rail then tap the key as described.The hammer will wink and the jack will probably hang up on a slow release of the key.
Best wishes,
Tom Driscoll

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: KeyKat88 at aol.com 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 9:28 AM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] Lost motion in Spinets


  Greetings, 

         Just following this thread, confused. Does your "testing" after you adjust the section,  the tapping being as you state: "firmly and rapidly"   give a different result (compresses the backrail cloth less so) than "pushing down on the back of the key" ; or do you tap the key at a different location?  (not trying to be a wise guy/gal) 

  Thanks, 
  Julia Gottshall
  Reading, PA 

  In a message dated 2/20/2009 12:29:25 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, tomtuner at verizon.net writes:
    Matthew,
    On all verticals pushing down on the back of the key will compress the backrail cloth, lowering  the .........both notes the backchecks move when I tap the key.That test will tell you nothing...
    ...... Then after adjusting a section I tap down firmly and rapidly with my fingertips on the back of the keys. If any hammers 

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