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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This was a topic a little while back =
that seemed to
spur some interest, so I thought I would follow up the latest. I =
converted the
brass hammer butt rail on an old M&H upright to wooden flanges via =
the Bill
Spurlock method. Worked very well, except for one thing on this piano - =
I don't
know how many others might be similarly affected. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Look at the two pictures below. I think =
it is
fairly easy to identify the nice new white hard maple wood that I added =
to the
original rail - right on top and flush with the back side of the hammer =
butt
flange.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Before I added the maple piece, =
everything went
together well, except that I noticed a few flanges/action-centers a =
little out
of line with the others. The top edge of the rail was a tiny bit chewed =
up in
those locations and the upper flat part of the flange that mates with =
the rail
wasn't even touching the rail - all of it was above the rail. So the =
only thing
that was helping to kinda keep the flange in place was the brass wire - =
but that
was quickly indenting into the wood flange and the flange was moving =
inward. I
pondered a solution for.... well, longer than I care to admit. Then =
after
putting two brains together (Phil Bondi and I - alright, maybe =
1-1/2
brains - and Phil ain't the one a half-sandwich short of a picnic) - we =
also
theorized that without some kind of good support on the upper part of =
that
flange, not only can the flange migrate inward over time a bit becuase =
of a lack
of support for the flange surface, but when that hammer strikes the =
string - we
wondered how the lack of a stable/secure base to the flange might cause =
a loss
of tone - kinda like having a hammer rail made of Styrofoam or at least =
flange
screws being loose or an action center that is too loose - I know those =
factors
can cause a lack of power/tone.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So, we thought that beefing up the rail =
with as
wide a piece of maple as we could fit between the front edge of the =
damper
flanges and the back side of the butt flanges would help to =
stabilize/strengthen
the butt flanges and hence the whole hammer assembly.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm far from putting it in the piano, =
but I think
this modification will be of benefit. Time will tell.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The photo below is down at the bass end =
of the
rail. Just one butt flange is in place so that the added maple piece can =
be
seen. The maple plug is an artifact of plugging the holes in the rail =
where the
original brass butt rail was screwed to the rail.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><IMG alt="" hspace=0 =
src="cid:002a01c625d8$013b3960$0201a8c0@DESKTOP"
align=baseline border=0></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The photo below is looking down the =
long axis of
the rail at the bass end.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><IMG alt="" hspace=0 =
src="cid:002b01c625d8$013b3960$0201a8c0@DESKTOP"
align=baseline border=0></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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