<div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Hello Folks,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’m not a piano technician…just an amateur pianist, so try to bear with me on technical discrepancies concerning action rebuilding and regulation. </SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I wish I knew about this
forum prior to my rebuild, since there is a wealth of information here!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hindsight tells me I could have taken a different approach to this project, but I don’t think all is lost.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">My piano is an 1890 Pleyel studio grand piano in excellent shape. It’s low-tensioned scaled, and is parallel strung.</SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></div> <div
class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’ve installed a new action, and I have touchweight problems. I get a lot of fatigue after playing for more than half an hour.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The parts I’ve used are Abel Hammers, Tokawa shanks and flanges, and Mason & Hamlin “Miracle” Wippens. I’ve installed a new action frame, hammer rail, wippen rail, front rail punchings, and new capstan screws to accommodate the new action. The capstan screws have been relocated from their original position, and are now 3/8” further from the balance rail to
achieve sufficient key-dip and clearance for the new wippens.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I left the original key bushings and backchecks, since they are in excellent condition.</SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">My measured average action ratio is 6.28 with a key dip of 3/8”. I am getting average down weights from 52 grams in the lower register, slowly tapering to 49 grams in the upper register. Up weights are in the 26-30 gram range – friction is from 12 to 17 grams. HOWEVER - these are the results after adjusting the wippen assist springs, which I have cranked in almost all of the way in
order to get the weights this low. If I disconnect the springs, the averages go from 84-88 down weight and 61-66 up weight...DW is low to mid 70's in the upper register. I've since learned that these springs are only designed to even out touchweight…not to reduce weight from inefficient leverage issues.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’ve noticed a little “bounciness” at the last 1/8” of the keystroke in soft and slow playing. I’m assuming it’s still there when playing fast and at higher dynamics. It's as if there is excess letoff resistance. My assumption is that this is caused by having the assist springs at high tension,
and not too much tension on the repetition springs.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">There is some key-leading present (see enclosed photos), but I don’t know if this is considered a conservative amount. Obviously the original wippens, shanks and hammers were of much lower mass than the new action parts, so maybe more leads are needed with my new action. My concern was getting the inertia levels too high by adding more lead to the keys.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’ve been told by others that the leading present is considered minimal, which was typical setup in these old French pianos.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The
problem is I don’t know what is considered too much or too little leading.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’m not certain if the action geometry could be improved, since it appears that the “magic line” is achieved by how I have everything mounted, but I could be missing important details concerning optimum alignment and action spread as evidenced by my extreme downweights.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt
0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I plan on either moving the capstans back toward the balance rail, and/or adding more leads.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The wippen heals can be relocated fore and aft approximately ½” if I so desire to move the capstans.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I hope they will come loose with a fine aperture heat-gun attachment, since I attached them with TiteBond.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I suppose I’ll loose keydip by moving the capstans, but maybe I can live with this.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">I’ve also considered removing
weight by tapering the hammers with Spurlock’s fixtures, but I’d like to avoid this extra work redoing the job (and messing up my beautiful hammerline!).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I’m also concerned that I’d radically change the tone of the piano by hammer reshaping – the tone is excellent and desirable as is.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Although maybe this won’t be the case, I don’t have experience here.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Any suggestions are appreciated. I'm sure an experienced rebuilder-tech could take a Gestalt look at this thing and diagnose the trouble, but I can't find anybody in my area to hire for
correcting the problems or simple advice. Everybody tech says they are booked up or too busy otherwise, but I'm probably scaring them away when I tell them I've replaced the action, and they fear working on a hodgepodge hack job!</SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN> </div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Greg</SPAN></div> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; LINE-HEIGHT: 14.4pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN><o:p></o:p> </div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"> </SPAN></div><p> 
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