[pianotech] interesting drop action design

[Rex Roseman]

Tom

 

I just worked on one of these actions the end of last month in an Aeolian
Spinet. In the piano that I was working on you had to unscrew the keybed and
lifter assembly and move them forward to get enough clearance to get the
action in and out. (After getting the action out, I discovered that the
problem was not in the action as I thought, but a broken damper pedal
spring!!! One hour extra time chalked up to experience.) The biggest problem
was that to get the action back in, you had to drop the action onto it's
action frame posts then slide the lifters and keybed back into place. If
anyone has ever replaced an upright action that has no bridle straps, you
know the experience that I had getting the lifters under the wippens. It
sounds like your piano maker gave you enough room to remove the action with
the keybed in place.

 

Rex Roseman

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Driscoll [mailto:tomtuner at verizon.net] 
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 9:14 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: [pianotech] interesting drop action design

 

List,

 

  I've seen a few of these over the years. This from a 1940 Marshall and
Wendell spinet.

 The action (not shown) is a conventional console type  action . The whippen
cushions sit on these "lifters?" .

 Easy in and out of the action, but key removal requires removal of each
dowel . Aside from that issue (which would be a real pain if you needed to
remove the keys) this is a pretty nice design.

 

Jack -- Do you know the maker ?   I'm guessing Thayer but I don't know why. 

 

Tom --longing to lose money on the slots but stuck at home -- Driscoll

 

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