[pianotech] Lowering the stack on a Steinway

Dale Erwin erwinspiano at aol.com
Tue Oct 9 22:24:30 MDT 2012


David
  Its sound like your stack is at leas 2 mm high. Anymore than that and it will scrape the bottom of the pinblock.
 I am working on 1950s B action where the hammer center to keybed was 142 mm. From experience 145 is the usual standard. I shimmed it up to spec. It had the opposite problems of yours. Shanks too high off rest felts,capstans buried, bore distance to short, hammers way overcentering.
  Shimming is easier than removing. I think last time I used a small laminate trimmer to take the cleats down & then cleaned it up with a very sharp chisel. Or just use a sharp chisel. If you get to low shimming will solve the rest of the elevation issues.



Dale Erwin R.P.T.
Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc.
 Mason & Hamlin/Steinway/U.S. pianos
www.Erwinspiano.com
Phone: 209-577-8397

 
  





-----Original Message-----
From: David Love <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>
To: pianotech <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Tue, Oct 9, 2012 7:08 pm
Subject: [pianotech] Lowering the stack on a Steinway


Encountered a Steinway c1960's today. Had been converted from Teflon to
Renner action.  Overall, the stack is too high.  Center pin to key bed is 
5 7/8"+.  Shanks are on the rest cushions with just about exactly 1 3/4"
blow.  Shanks can rebound into the balancier screw with certain types of
staccato touch.  Capstans are screw up far too high.  Looking for an
efficient way to cut down the key frame rests for the stack feet and lower
the stack by about 1/8"+.  Any suggestions?  

There are other issues with this action as well that I will need to address.
Leverage is very high.  Original shank swapped out to 16.5 knuckle hanging.
Wippen assist springs were employed and in the upper part of the piano the
hammer tails contact the assist springs on a hard blow.  Hammers are too
heavy even with the assist spring for this action (have yet to do a complete
analysis).  However, the stack, I'm convinced, must be lowered no matter
what.  

David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com




 
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