<html 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@01C5E014.711E8340"> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PostalCode"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType = namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple = style='tab-interval:.5in'> <div class=Section1> I was out today to regulate a rebuilt Sohmer grand. This older piano was rebuilt by a very reputable dealership in = Indy. Some parts of the workmanship were outstanding, others not so good. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The piano is owned by a prominent local attorney. He = bought it about two years ago. I tuned it once in the home. Since then another = tech (RPT) tuned it and fussed with it. I don’t know what all he did but he = was tired of messing with the piano (the attorney has something of a = reputation). A couple of months ago they called me out to tune the piano. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The action was a mess. The hammers were blocking and = it felt like there was way too much friction somewhere, not enough up weight on = the keys. And the keys were very wobbly. Perhaps the other tech had over eased = them to try to take out friction, I don’t know. I hate being in this kind = of situation: picky client (who doesn’t know anything about pianos, = nor does he play), piano rebuilt by a third party sold through a third party = dealer and I’m not the regular tuner/tech. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> No problem. It’s not my problem. I tell him the = piano has some serious regulation problems and extensive friction caused by I = don’t know what. I quote him a high price, stressing it is an estimate, hoping = he won’t ask me to do the work. He doesn’t. Until last = weekend. He calls me and tells me he is having a big party on Dec 3. He’s = hired a pianist and he needs his piano fixed. No way do I have enough time with = what I have going on. So I told him I would come out today and try to make it = playable in one day. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I intended to give it a quick and dirty regulation = and take out whatever friction I could easily. Half way through setting let off I = came to a note that the dowel was turned all the way down on and it still was = not letting off (dowels overall were very loose and many felt like they were = near the end). I immediately suspected cracked jack heel. Took off the whippen and sure enough, it was a two piece jack = construction and the heel was very loose. Now I suspected them all. I took the stack = off and started checking and sure enough, probably 30%-40% of the heels were a = little loose. Now I knew why the hammers were blocking and the dowels were near = the end. Time for a field CA repair. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> With the stack upside down I lightly sprayed the jack = joint with accelerator (without any accelerator, the CA tends to soak into the = wood and not leave any in the joint before it sets up). Then using a hypo = oiler I very carefully applied the tiniest drop of = CA to each joint (too much and it will run into the pivot bushing. Bad, bad. DAMHIK). Rechecked for looseness. One was still loose. A little more accelerator and = more glue. Voila! Problem solved. For ten years now whenever I get an action like = this into the shop I will routinely apply CA to that joint. I would urge you = all to do the same. If only the other rebuilder = would have done it much grief could have been avoided. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> While the stack was upside down I also stuck the hypo = needle into the adjusting holes of the letoff = dowels and squirted a couple drops in each dowel so it would run up the threaded = hole. I let it set for a couple minutes, spray on accelerator before uprighting stack ( I didn’t want any excess CA to = drip into undesirable places. Been there, done that). Spray more accelerator onto = the dowel where the threaded rod goes in, then I applied more CA to the top = of the dowel. I don’t think I’ve ever done this before but it = really worked! Those wobbly dowels became nice and snug and they weren’t hard to = turn. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Damper wires were a little stiff. It appears the = plate was not reinstalled in the original location. Most of the damper wires were = bent, slightly cocking the damper heads, so the wires would clear the = neighboring strings. A mess.  Applied Goose Juice and they = freed up nicely. What a nightmare that could have = been.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p>  Applied Goose Juice to all action pivot points. = Eased some balance rail holes. Up weight still seemed on the low side but it was = much improved. I didn’t see any other signs of excess friction. The = first rebuilder had changed hammer shanks, hammers and = key bushings. Those are the only new parts visible. Hammer tails were not = tapered or radiused (and they needed to be because = of clearance issues and poor checking) so I don’t know why up weight = would be low (I only have the opinion it was low, I did not take measurements) = unless the hammers weighed less than the originals. I suspect another gram or = two of weight on the hammers would greatly improve the responsiveness. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Key bushings were left sloppy. Hey, you can only do = so much in one day. Overall the piano was left very functional for less invested = than what I anticipated (6.5 hours). BTW, I used Spurlock’s grand = regulating jig. I love this simple jig. It makes short work of very precise letoff and drop regulation. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Shared opinions on what could be done to improve responsiveness or up weight would be appreciated. When I say poor = responsiveness what I mean is the action is a little on the slow side. The keys had no = weights in them. Down weight may have been a little low as well. = <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Blessings. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Dean<f= ont size=6 face="Bradley Hand ITC"><o:p></o:p>= Dean May       &nbs= p;     cell 812.239.3359<o:p></o:p> PianoRebuilders.co= m   = 812.235.5272<o:p></o:p> <st1:place><st1:City>Terre Haute</st1:City> <st1:State>IN</st1:State>  = <st1:PostalCode>47802</st1:PostalCode= ></st1:place><o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>