<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" = http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.3314.2100" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=4>Z!, </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>Sounds like you're tilting at windmills on this one. = To your question re. key forks, yes they are available from the suppliers. = However, I think the Church needs to start a "Piano Fund" and you would do well to = meet with the powers that be and impress on them the need for a better piano. = (Perhaps a letter to the Elders would be more effective. Sometimes, if = it's in writing, it gets their attention better.) Just some thoughts for a plan = of action.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>Regards,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=4>Joe Garrett</FONT></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: = 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A href="mailto:diskladame@provide.net" = title=diskladame@provide.net>Z! Reinhardt</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org" title=pianotech@ptg.org>Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, May 21, 2001 9:06 = AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Before It Breaks</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Everyone!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The victim:  a cruel, crude = spinet in a church</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The problem:  those little metal = forks at the end of each key</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is one of those thankless little = spinets that has had a lot of maintenance work performed in the last few = months after years of basic neglect.  (The church isn't ready to get rid of it = yet.)  At one point before all this work, all of the keys = "worked" in that if you hit them plenty hard, a note will sound accompanied by a = chorus of clattering loose parts, and it will return to rest position to await = the next blow.  What was happening was that all of the action screws were = so loose that everything was allowed to flop where it will.  Furthermore, = all of the keys were plenty sloppy with worn bushings and enlarged balance holes.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First order of business -- tighten = all those flange screws.  Do a rudimentary (very = low-budget) regulation to improve the response.  But guess what -- the keys don't line up = too well with the sticker wires with the little square rubber grommets in the = middle section of the piano.  They want to lean to the right with enough = force to cause binding at what is left of the bushings on one = side.  Disconnect the wire and the key and the corresponding action parts = regain their sloppy characteristics.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Found that I could = greatly reduce the binding problem by very slightly tilting the fork with a pair of = pliers so the corresponding key is not so prone to leaning.  Some of the little = forks offered plenty of resistance to being tilted.  Others felt like = they were getting ready to break.  They are just little pieces of stamped = metal that appear to have been inserted on the vertical, then twisted most = of the way but not quite enough to horizontal.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In the event that one of those little = forks does break ...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Are replacement forks available from = any of the supply houses?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Does anyone have a cute trick for = extracting the pieces out of the end of a key without doing too much damage to the key?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Does anyone have any ideas ... oh = stupid me, I should have thought of bending the sticker wires with the damper wire = pliers ... unless someone has a better idea on how to correct this = situation  very efficiently.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(No, I am not looking for ways to = efficiently implode this spinet to make it easier to haul away.)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for your ideas = --</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Z! Reinhardt  RPT<BR>Ann = Arbor  MI<BR><A = href="mailto:diskladame@provide.net">diskladame@provide.net</A></FONT><= /DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>