<div> <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's what I gather...the question is, who wants to pay to have a brand new piano's action corrected? <br>
<br>
In this case, the magic line = the bottom line....:-}<br>
<br>
Dave<br>
</font></div>
<div> <br>
</div>
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-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com><br>
To: Pianotech List <pianotech@ptg.org><br>
Sent: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 8:24 am<br>
Subject: Re: capstan replacement on Bohemia 185<br>
<br>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_2_22e0ada6-07d8-48b2-8c60-d5953d75972e">
<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>
<blockquote dir="ltr" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px;">
<div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;">----- 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></div>
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