[pianotech] Bad day in Truman

[Alan Eder]

Hi Susan,


-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Kline <skline at peak.org>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Sat, Feb 12, 2011 8:32 am
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Bad day in Truman


              On 2/12/2011 12:15 PM, Tom Driscoll wrote:    
 And of course don't forget the catcher shank glue      joint will also click ..
    By all        means, remember this, and also to tighten the flange screws. 
        



The first thing I did after hearing the sound, yet not having the hammers feel loose in my hand.

        While turning it upside down and dripping CA into the seams is        an eternal cure, it takes time and you would have to be sure to        get the hammer line straight very quickly, as it sets up so        fast. 


As previously mentioned, these hammers don't rock, yet there is a click, which seems to be a glue-starved joint at one or the other or both ends of the shank.


It might be safer to drip in titebond cut 1:1 with water.        Turn it back over and fix the hammer line when they are about        half set up, so they'll stay where you put them, would be my        guess.
        
        In the field, where there are often just a few, I put some white        glue on the pinky of my right hand, and reach around the hammer        head, massaging the white glue into the joint of any hammer        which will twitch if tweaked. If it's loose enough to move up        and down, it's loose enough for some of the glue to work in. 
        
        You have to be careful the white glue doesn't drip down enough        to glue the shank to the hammer rail cloth. For this, it's best        to check it pretty frequently after the glue is put on, wiping        up extra, and also seeing that the hammer head is setting up. (A        few are so loose they need a second dose.) When it's half set up        is the right time to get it in line with the others. 
        
        It's much more thorough to pull the hammer right off to reglue        it (some will just come off if urged) but then you also have to        be sure that the hammer ends up pointed straight at the strings,        and you still have the possibility that the glue will drip down.        While turning the whole action upside down will get rid of the        dribbling glue problem (except on whatever is beneath the        action, of course) it also takes time, and would need to be        charged for. Just gluing a few loose hammers with the action in        place takes so little time that it can fit into a normal tuning        fee, no trouble. 
        
        I always prefer to avoid nickel-and-diming customers if at all        possible. It's annoying and a waste of time for all concerned.
        

If I am going to re-glue half of the hammers on this baby (the approximate quantity referenced in my original post), it's going to cost more than both a nickel AND a dime together (two bits at LEAST, I'd say ;-).

        Susan
        

Thanks for your useful input, as always.


Alan E.
        
        
        
 
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