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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Capstan friction isn't a big deal if you don't have any,
or if it is acceptably low. On a properly set up action you won't have much
is any friction loss there anyway because the capstan/heel interface will be on
the magic line at half blow.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>On a poorly set up action - likely like the one you
describe - one can reduce friction a lot by polishing an otherwise rough
capstan. If the interface is not on the magic line, that capstan will be doing
quite a bit of traveling along the wip heel during key movement.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>So the bottom line is that on a well set up action,
capstan friction likely isn't a big deal. But on a poorly set up action it can
be very big deal indeed. Polishing is great, but it would be best to correct
the action geometry also.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV><FONT
face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've heard it said that capstan friction
isn't a big deal because the amount of sideways motion of the capstan against
the wippen heal is minimal. I found it interesting, then, that on a new
Bohemia 185 I felt some roughness when playing, and was able to isolate it to
the capstan/wippen heel interface. The surface of the capstans was sort
of rough, and in some instances had pronounced burrs, as well as overly
defined (IMHO) edges. As a temporary fix, I teflonned the
heels.<BR><BR>Bohemia (now owned by Bechstein, btw, for better or worse) said
that they'd go with my recommendation to replace the capstans and re-regulate
the blow distance. The new capstans--</FONT><FONT
face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">of a completely different, polished
texture</FONT><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">-- arrived a couple of
weeks ago. I completed the agreed-upon task tonight, and when I got the
action back in the piano, the difference was absolutely astonishing. The
action felt entirely different, far faster and more controllable. Both
the owner and I were quite surprised and pleased at the difference.<BR><BR>Now
who was it that said that capstan friction is no big to deal? I beg to
differ!<BR><BR>Thanks for reading,<BR><BR>Dave</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>