<br><br> <div><span class="gmail_quote">On 10/11/07, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:piannaman@aol.com">piannaman@aol.com</a></b> <<a href="mailto:piannaman@aol.com">piannaman@aol.com</a>> wrote:</span> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hello all,<br><br>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<br></font> <div> <hr style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"> Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/index.htm?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000970" target="_blank"> AOL Mail</a>!<br> </div></blockquote></div> <div><br>Hi Dave,</div> <div>About a year and a half ago I had a call from a city 80 miles north of me from a gentleman who had purchased a Kawai RX-5 18 months prior. During the intervening time he had made a business trip to New York and somehow talked his way into Steinway headquarters and was allowed to play some of the pianos kept there for visiting artists. When he arrived home his Kawai didn't play like those(I was thinking surprise pal you didn't buy a Steinway)he explained he'd had 3 techs in to make it play more like a Steinway and none had been able to. He then called Kawai who gave him MY name( grabbing at straws I'm certain, they'd never given it out before)and he wanted to know if I thought I could, he would pay my time and milage both ways. I agreed and blocked out 3 days a few weeks off. I then called several people for advice, I had some ideas but am not an expert on Steinway touch, just very familiar w/Kawai's. I managed to talk to Don Mannino who among other things, easing balance rail holes, using McLube on keypins, setting key height as close to spec as possible(Kawai machines their keybeds very carefully and key height can make a big difference) mentioned very specifically polishing the capstans. I took along my Dremel tool and cake of Jeweler's rouge and along with the other things polished those capstans very carefully. When I arrived downweight was 62 grams after 2 & 1/2 days I had it at 52 in the bass and 50 through the rest of the keyboard. The man was smiling, even when he wrote the check!  </div> <div>I am a firm believer in polishing capstans, always with a cotton buffer and jewelers rouge, it is a regular part of my regulation.</div> <div>Mike<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.-- Albert Einstein<br><br><br><br>Michael Magness<br>Magness Piano Service<br>608-786-4404 <br><a href="http://www.IFixPianos.com">www.IFixPianos.com</a><br>email <a href="mailto:mike@ifixpianos.com">mike@ifixpianos.com</a> </div>