<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=windows-1250"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2912" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=663494219-25072006><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=4><EM> I came across 1 about 6 months ago and I ran.</EM></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=663494219-25072006><EM><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=4></FONT></EM></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=663494219-25072006> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=4>Wayne Walker</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=4>Piano Tuner / Technician</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=4></FONT></DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><STRONG>Musicstop Acoustic Piano Service</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><STRONG>264 Herring Cove Road</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><STRONG>Halifax, NS, Canada</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><STRONG>B3P 1M1</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><STRONG>902-221-1540</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><STRONG>902-496-6924 Fax</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><STRONG><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" size=2><A href="http://www.musicstop.com/">www.musicstop.com</A></FONT></STRONG></DIV></DIV></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> alan forsyth [mailto:alan@forsythalan.wanadoo.co.uk] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 25, 2006 4:09 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Pianotech List<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: should I repair, replace, retreat,or recommend a recking ball on Thomas vertical?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sounds to me like a Lindener. Run away. No spares available since 1978.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></STRONG><IMG alt="" hspace=0 src="cid:663494219@25072006-2731" align=baseline border=0></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>AF</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT></STRONG> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>From: "Mark Ultsch" <</FONT></STRONG><A href="mailto:multsch@jvlnet.com"><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>multsch@jvlnet.com</FONT></STRONG></A><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>To: "pianotech" <</FONT></STRONG><A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>pianotech@ptg.org</FONT></STRONG></A><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 4:56 PM</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>Subject: should I repair, replace, retreat,or recommend a recking ball on Thomas vertical?</FONT></STRONG></DIV></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><BR><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></STRONG></DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>> hi folks,<BR>> <BR>> I've run across an "interesting" non-standard piano with an<BR>> uninteresting problem.<BR>> <BR>> It is a Thomas model PT vertical.  Serial no. 041384.  The nameplate<BR>> lists the manufacturer as Thomas Organ of Sepulveda California.<BR>> Pierce atlas lists only Thomas Piano (not Thomas Organ) as being from<BR>> Sepulveda.  So, how old is this, anyway?<BR>> <BR>> The theory of operation is standard, but the only action components<BR>> that look standard are the damper felts, hammers and shanks.  It<BR>> certainly isn't a high-grade piano, but is intriguing from an<BR>> mechanical design standpoint.<BR>> <BR>> The plate is a weldment and the keybed (also a weldment) is attached<BR>> to it with machine screws and locator pins.  The action is removed<BR>> extremely easily by flipping two spring steel clips on the top of two<BR>> action brackets.  Components are either plastic or stamped steel.  For<BR>> instance, the spoons are an integral part of the wippen formed from<BR>> sheet stock.  Backchecks are stampings with  buckskin glued to them.<BR>> Adjustments (including key height and dip) are made with plastic jack<BR>> screws.  Wippen, hammer and damper flanges are insert injected plastic<BR>> pieces with (what appears to be) spring steel inside.  They fit into<BR>> approx 1/2" channel rails like mini plastic clothes pins with the<BR>> springs reversed.  I can't find any screws holding these in place,<BR>> either.<BR>> <BR>> The problem is the damper flanges have a small protruding ear that<BR>> retains the damper (torsion) spring end.  The spring torsion places<BR>> tension on the ear and many of these ears in the bass flanges are<BR>> broken off, leaving the dampers to freely wander in space somewhere<BR>> between the strings and the damper stop rail.<BR>> <BR>> Questions:  Are these flanges of the soon-to-be-powder plastic type<BR>> like old plastic flanges or elbows?  Are new flanges available and, if<BR>> so, will standard center pins work?  Or, I'm wondering if I can get a<BR>> dab of epoxy to serve as a prosthetic ear on the existing broken<BR>> flanges to hold the spring end (I'll try gluing a broken piece but I<BR>> doubt it, though).  Is it worth it to replace or repair?<BR>> <BR>> Disclaimer:  Please correct me if some of my observations may be off a<BR>> bit:  It's bifocal time.<BR>> <BR>> Thanks for your comments and suggestions.<BR>> <BR>> Mark Ultsch, RPT<BR>> Madison Chapter<BR>> <BR>> <BR>></FONT></STRONG> </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> <BR> <P><FONT SIZE=2>--<BR> No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR> Checked by AVG Free Edition.<BR> Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.4/399 - Release Date: 7/25/2006<BR> </FONT> </P> <P><FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Arial"> </FONT> </P>