<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1543" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Hi,</DIV> <DIV>When reshaping the hammers and then regulating the hammer distance/taking up lost motion, The dampers loose some length of travel.</DIV> <DIV>This results sometimes in there not being enough damper pressure on the strings to damp them.</DIV> <DIV>To check the feel of the damper springs in the piano, raise the dampers with the pedal and gently work a group of dampers, pulling them back and releasing them.</DIV> <DIV>Feel for uneveness of spring tension. Usually you will find nothing is wrong. </DIV> <DIV>If there is no follow of the damper when the string associated with that damper is pressed away from the damper, the damper can not do its job, whether new or old. Replacing the damper will not help.</DIV> <DIV>Joe Goss RPT<BR>Mother Goose Tools<BR><A href="mailto:imatunr@srvinet.com">imatunr@srvinet.com</A><BR><A href="http://www.mothergoosetools.com">www.mothergoosetools.com</A></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=KeyKat88@aol.com href="mailto:KeyKat88@aol.com">KeyKat88@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 25, 2006 8:45 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Upright damper work - newbie seeks opinions, please . . .</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Greetings, </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>            I would think that a 1957 model piano , unless its been played the heck out of or near extreme moist or heat/hot conditions, shouldnt need new damper levers or blocks. With out seeing the situation, I would say just replace the felts. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>            In an old turn of the century upright, I can see possibly because of years and years of dried out wood and/or the center pin centers are loose, or a moist condition where the damper head block glue was compromised, or so much use that the springs are bad, then  yes perhaps you want to replace the heads or even whole lever. My father who was an auto mechanic taught me a valuable lesson: dont fix what aint broke.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>           TO test if the damper springs are still decent, press on the piano string, the damper should follow the string, if nopt the springs are shot.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Julia Gottshall</DIV> <DIV>Reading, PA</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 7/25/2006 2:08:21 AM Eastern Standard Time, tvaktvak@sbcglobal.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>It's a 1957 Knabe console with multiple wimpy dampers coming unglued.  Should I replace just the felts or the entire damper assembly and, if so [either way], which/whose should I use.  I realize my times will be about double what JG's Labor Guide says but I want to do it right because it's a regular client and nice lady.  Thanks in advance.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Jim Frazee<BR>914.763.8689<BR>Offlist at:  </FONT><A title=mailto:jimfrazee@msn.com href="mailto:jimfrazee@msn.com"><FONT face=Arial>jimfrazee@msn.com</FONT></A></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>