<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" = xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" = xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link rel=File-List href="cid:filelist.xml@01C3BA85.81D2FA10"> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="time"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="date"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple = style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> Thanks for the responses, Dale = & Clyde. I had considered putting something with some more “body” in = the slots, and perhaps the protek grease is the = answer. I have spoken to Bob at Pianotek about this = problem, and will again before taking the next step. I’m not sure that = I’ve given up on Tokiwa as a result of this, but = I’m gettin’ there. Other than this, I like = the parts, and love the eveness of touchweight that I was able to get on both pianos with the adjustable helper = springs. One piano – a Mason AA with Renner wips = – went from the mid 60’s (grams) to the upper 40’s in the middle = after the switch over, and I removed 6 lbs. of lead from the keys. The customer = was beginning to have muscular problems that limited her practice time but can now = play for hours pain-free. The other set went on my own Steinway, and even without = the springs I got better touchweight & = friction numbers than with the Renner parts. I do have problems with checking on = my piano that disappear when I swap out samples with Renner wips, though. Although they appear identical in the important aspects, I = suspect that the Tokiwas are shortening the action spread = just slightly, but I haven’t checked it yet. Can someone remind me of = what the spec is for S&S action spread?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> - Mark<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> -----Original = Message----- From: Erwinspiano@aol.com [mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com] Sent: = <st1:date Month="12" Day="4" Year="2003">Thursday, December 04, = 2003</st1:date> <st1:time Hour="11" Minute="25">11:25 AM</st1:time> To: pianotech@ptg.org Subject: Re: Squeeking = rep lever springs on Tokiwa wips <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div> In a message dated = <st1:date Month="12" Day="3" Year="2003">12/3/2003</st1:date> = <st1:time Hour="20" Minute="24">8:24:08 PM</st1:time> Pacific Standard Time, mark@nhpianos.com writes:<o:p></o:p> </div> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid blue = 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <div>   In the = past year I installed two sets of “Miracle Wips”, made by Tokiwa via Pianotek. Both sets quickly developed fairly noisy squeaks where the rep lever = spring slides in the slot on the underside of the lever. I tried clear Teflon = and protek, both on the spring and in the slot, which originally had painted on graphite. The springs are clean, and = don’t appear to have any loose or missing plating or corrosion, and I’ve = looked with a microscope. Both pianos are in humidity-controlled environments. = Both these sets are also plagued by “Suddenly Tight Center-Pin = Syndrome” with friction jumping from 2 – 3 grams to 20 – 30 grams! = After just spending several hours each on both pianos, pulling every wip and checking/repining flanges & jacks and lubing all the slots, the customer calls back to say: “Its baa-ack!”  Has anyone ever run across this = on any piano and found a permanent solution?<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> - Mark</stro= ng><o:p></o:p> </div> </blockquote> </div> <div>      Actually I've had this squeaking = on very few tokiwa parts but solved the problem by lubing with protek = grease. The tight pins syndrome in many cases will just require re -pinning. The = cause here can be A. glue contamination B. plating on japanese pins sometimes fakes = off & clogs up felt (German ones too sometimes). C.Wood changing dimension. D. pinned too tight to begin with & then the wood swells. = E. Who could possibly know.<o:p></o:p></p= > </div> <div>    Don't be to hard on the tokiwa parts with a = blanket indictment. I've had similar problems with most parts. Contact the = importer at Pacific piano.<o:p></o:p></p= > </div> <div>   Dale<o:p></o:p></p= > </div> </div> </body> </html>