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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear List,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I always like coming up with =
ideas to make
certain tasks we do as technicians easier and more efficient, and, if I =
may, I
like to share my latest with you today. But let =
me tell you
the evolution of my new technique. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> We all have to take =
touchweight
measurements on an entire keyboard from time to time, and what a chore =
it can
be. It's not that the work is so difficult, but for me it's the =
stress
brought on by what I call 'the uncertainty factor', that is, =
knowing how
often and how hard to tap the keybed to break that =
pesky static
friction. The situation reminds me of that old TV commercial =
from the
60's, debating whether to use Ex-Lax or prunes for
constipation, and the concerned housewife remarks, "With prunes I'm =
never
sure, are 2 enough, are 6 too many?" I find myself in a
similar quandary tapping the keybed. Richard Davenport, in the PTJ =
of Feb,
1999, used a swinging mallet contraption to tap his action model =
experiment in a
controlled and repeatable way. He called it the 'static =
friction
inertia decoupler'. I like to think that I've come up with the Ex-lax of =
static
friction inertia decouplers; smooth, fast acting, reliable, and =
completely
safe.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I stopped at a yard sale a =
while back
and spied an old game that I remember from my youth. It's the one where =
the
metal gameboard is a football field and you set up the little football =
players
on the field, and then turn it on, and the whole surface vibrates, and =
the
players move forward (or whichever direction they are facing) and the =
object is
to strategize and set them up in a way that allows your designated =
ball-carrying
player to break free and score a touchdown. Anyway, I had a flash =
of
inspiration when I saw that game, as well as a plunge into the =
wellspring of
nostalgia, and I thought, "here's my ticket to static =
friction inertia
decoupling nirvana". Next chance I got, I C-clamped it to the side =
of a
grand keyframe, set up the players (for fun), and, with my gram =
weights at
the ready, turned it on. All I can say is 'Wow'. That gentle vibrating =
action
was just the ticket to keep those keys moving freely. No tapping =
guesswork
necessary. There were two problems, though. One was that I kept =
getting
distracted by the game, trying to figure out strategy for my next play, =
and two,
the vibration seemed to be a little too strong in the treble where the =
gameboard
was clamped, and not quite strong enough in the bass. I did =
consider
getting another game and clamping it to the bass end of the action, but, =
1) my
regulating table isn't long enough, 2) I thought it would just =
add to
the problem of distracting me by trying to play two games at =
once,
and 3) the beat rate produced by the vibrating =
oscillations of
the two games might throw both the strategy of the game play and the =
gentle
quality of the static friction inertia decoupling right out the window. =
So, back
to the drawing board.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> At the local Goodwill =
store, I had
another one of those flashes, as if of inspiration, when I saw a brown =
naugahyde
Barca-lounger with Magic-Fingers. It was kind of worn out for $50, =
but what
convinced me to get it was the built-in heater. I purchased it and
moved it to my shop and got to work. I built some =
brackets and
attached them to the underside of an old table top from an office =
desk,
then I attached the table top permanently to the arms of the
Barca-lounger. You have to squeeze in from the top or =
scrunch in
from underneath, but once you're there, buddy, it's the easy seat. I =
crank up
the built-in heater and start those Magic Fingers, and, I could take =
touchweight
measurements all day, every day. The chair has two vibration =
settings, and
I use both, as necessary. If it is an old piano action with flat, =
crusty,
graphited knuckles, I run it on high. If it's a reconditioned one with =
smooth,
round, tefloned knuckles, low speed seem to work just fine. Nice even =
vibration
from bass to treble, no stressful tapping guesswork, and best of =
all, the
added bemefit of no more nagging backaches. One tip for those who try =
this, you
will need to put little neoprene washers on the bottom of your gram =
weights to
keep them from sliding off the key, or, as I like to think of it, =
'getting
tackled' :-). So when I'm in my shop these days, you can find me
either honing my set-up strategy on the electric football game,
or relaxing and taking trouble free touchweight measurements on =
piano
actions. Last week I even gave a discount to someone whose action =
came in
only for key bushings, just because I knew I would want to =
take
touchweight measurements for fun, and I would feel like I had =
been to
the spa afterward. These are the kind of benefits I like to pass back to =
the
customer, whenever possible.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Well, my back feels a =
little
stiff, guess I should go out to the shop and do a little "work" til =
I feel
better. You all have a great day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ken Jankura </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Newburg, PA</FONT></DIV>
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