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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I worked for the Washington, DC dealor, Campbell
Music Co, who was considering handleing them in the late 50's or early
60's. He had the DC chapter come in for a tech session. The rep for the
Company (Lindeman I think) said it was the new thing in piano design. I
understood him to claim they were flown in from Shannon, Ireland. The
hammer flanges could be snapped out with a thin flat screwdriver like
tool. He wanted us to purchase the necessary tools required to work on
them. No one did. We sold Steinway, Sohmer, Kimball, Gulbransen...
We sure did not need that thing. That was the only one I ever worked
on. Thank God they did not buy them. Obviously, somebody did!
Do yourself a favor, be nice but say no thanks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Carlos Ralon, RPT</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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=alan@forsythalan.wanadoo.co.uk
href="mailto:alan@forsythalan.wanadoo.co.uk">alan forsyth</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 25, 2006 3:08
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: should I repair, replace,
retreat,or recommend a recking ball on Thomas vertical?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></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:004001c6b069$7ebc4480$6400a8c0@carlosac44ie0x" 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>