<HTML><BODY><DIV style='font-family: "Verdana"; font-size: 10pt;'><DIV> <DIV> Michelle,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Check for tightness in any parts, not just flanges.  It could be in the sticker guide rail bushings as well.  Or, as John Ross suggested, there may be hammer return springs broken.  They come off when we  pull dropped mutes out of the action.  When that happens, most of us put them back in the slot most of the time....</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I doubt if keys are tight on a piano that's that old, but it's worth a look.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Isolate the different functions to check for sluggishness.  AFter awhile you'll be able to diagnose things fairly quickly.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Dave Stahl<BR><BR><BR>Dave Stahl Piano Service<BR>650-224-3560<BR>dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<BR>http://dstahlpiano.net/<BR><BR><BR></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BR>-----Original Message-----<BR>From: Michelle Smith <michelle@cdaustin.com><BR>To: 'Pianotech List' <pianotech@ptg.org><BR>Sent: Sat, 3 Jun 2006 16:34:35 -0500<BR>Subject: RE: Slow Hammer Return<BR><BR> <STYLE> .AOLPlainTextBody { margin: 0px; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; font-size: 12px; color: #000; background-color: #fff; } .AOLPlainTextBody pre { font-size: 9pt; } .AOLInlineAttachment { margin: 10px; } .AOLAttachmentHeader { border-bottom: 2px solid #E9EAEB; background: #F9F9F9; } .AOLAttachmentHeader .Title { font: 11px Tahoma; font-weight: bold; color: #666666; background: #E9EAEB; padding: 3px 0px 1px 10px; } .AOLAttachmentHeader .FieldLabel { font: 11px Tahoma; font-weight: bold; color: #666666; padding: 1px 10px 1px 9px; } .AOLAttachmentHeader .FieldValue { font: 11px Tahoma; color: #333333; } </STYLE> <DIV id=AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874> <STYLE> /* Font Definitions */ @#AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} #AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} #AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} #AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} #AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal; font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} #AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 span.EmailStyle18 {mso-style-type:personal; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} #AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 span.EmailStyle20 {mso-style-type:personal-reply; font-family:Arial; color:navy;} @#AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} #AOLMsgPart_2_50c1da95-4abf-4c7a-8a70-c58b73089874 div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </STYLE> <DIV class=Section1> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Actually, I was wrong.  It’s not the Wood & Brooks.  It’s the spinet with the wooden inverted stickers instead of lifter wires/elbows.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks for all of the great information.  <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">(I also found some stuff in the Technical Exam Source Book.)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Michelle<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Farrell<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Saturday, June 03, 2006 4:25 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> Pianotech List<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Slow Hammer Return</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></DIV></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><EM><I><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"BTW whats an Inverted Direct Blow? Is it upside down?"</SPAN></FONT></I></EM><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I assume she is talking about one of those....... Brooks action is it? I think the name is something like that.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><EM><I><FONT face=Arial color=blue size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"How long is a soaking? Are you submerging the entire part into this mixture or are you just soaking the center with drops?"</SPAN></FONT></I></EM><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Drops. I tend to be pretty liberal with my drops - just want to be sure to get the bushings good and soaked. Just make sure you don't soak the butt leather off (DAMHIK! - although I wonder, was that worse than the time I filled all the key pin mortices on a set of keys with water to soak the bushings out? Wanna know how to plump-up a set of keys?). Actually, what I do is get my aim calibrated, set the action to where I have access, and squeeze my squirt bottle (fine tip) and just run a stream of it right up the whole action in one direction on the butt centers. Then I squeeze again and run it right across all the butt/flange centers the other way. I might repeat that. Then I'll target another action center if needed - check them all - jacks, dampers, etc.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><EM><I><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"Are there any other causes I should look for before I try soaking?"</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></I></EM></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Well, you need to do the standard checks. Isolate the keys from the action - which one is slow? Remove a couple butts and check flange friction. Just isolate all the moving parts and you should be able to identify with confidence exactly where the problem is (or where the problems are).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I'll put a fan on when I let them dry overnight - put the fan on low and not even point it directly at the action. I've had real good luck with it. Often one application makes the magic work completely. Sometimes it will only get 80% of the centers and you need to do it again. Even then sometimes I'll have to Protek a few centers to get them all working.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Terry Farrell<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 5pt 0in 5pt 3.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: black 1.5pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <SCRIPT> if ((parent != null) && (parent.ProcessCommand != null)) parent.ProcessCommand('bodyLoaded', true); </SCRIPT> </DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>