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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Are these original parts, except for =
the
hammers? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Original keybushings with well worn key =
pin
grooves. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Original wippens with excessive saddle/ =
capstan
grooves?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pinning?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Verdi Gris?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Too many times action geometry concerns =
are
confused with the basics. Excessive friction from the keybushings/ =
keypin
relationship can affect the outcome dramatically. My advise before =
any
drilling and leading is considered would be to thoroughly lubricate all =
contact
points...keypins, capstan, knuckles, jack tops, and even the keybushings =
and
wippen saddle cushions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I assure you that your findings will =
change
dramatically.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Incidentally, a tip that I picked up =
from my last
Steinway factory seminar was centered around this issue. The techs are =
now
lubricating the keybushing felt and wippen saddle cushions with Protek =
Pro Lube,
in addition to lubricating the keypins and capstans. The =
differences in
release are outstanding.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Remember: measure twice cut =
once!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tom Servinsky</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 04, 2005 =
7:52
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Action =
Balancing/Leverage
Quagmire</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Action Balancing =
Aficionados,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Today I spent a good part of the day =
with Phil
Bondi (who is currently dodging thunderstorms along southbound I-75)
diagnosing an 1880s S&S model A 85-note action that plays like a =
Mack
truck.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Because two heads are better than =
one, and as we
found out, they are likely better by an exponential function, we have =
at least
four times as many unanswered questions as either one of us could have =
come up
with working alone!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We actually did improve one thing =
right off. The
drop screws were turned WAY down to make the pathetically hung crap =
hammers
check - sort of. They were so far down that the rep levers were being
depressed at less than half blow. We turned them up and that made =
quite a
difference right away. But still, the action was =
sluggish.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We measured upweight (UW), downweight =
(DW), key ratio (KR), strike weight (SW), wippen weight =
(WW),
knuckle-to-center distance (KC) and front =
weight (FW) on all
the Cs and C#s. Our objective is to characterize what changes can be =
made to
this action to make for a normal to light touchweight. All results =
discussed
herein are in grams and millimeters.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We also examined magic lines and did =
the
measurements to calculate overall action ration as specified by Ron
Overs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The action had shanks with =
knuckles 15.7 mm
away from the flange center pin (is that the right distance Phil?). =
And it had
five leads in the bass keys and two in the trebles.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The capstan/wip-heel actually =
intersected the
magic line just after key travel started (not too horribly bad). The
knuckle/rep-lever interface started at a full knuckle below the line =
and ended
with the line about half-way across the knuckle at full key depression =
(pretty
bad).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>For anyone interested in a painful =
experience, I
will send you my spreadsheet with all the data upon request. For those =
others
more sensible, but still reading this, I will summarize =
below:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>DW ranged from 49 to 63. UW ranged =
from 18 to 28,
friction (F) ranged from 12 to 19.5 balance weight (BW) ranged from 34 =
to
45.5, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What would make the BW so
inconsistent?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>FWs are from at Stanwood's Front =
Weight Ceilings
to about 4g over, KR is .55 for naturals and .53 for sharps, average =
WW is
16.5, SW ranged from heavy-medium in the treble to just into the =
light
zone in the bass, action ratio (R) ranged from 6.7 to 7.5 and averaged =
7.1.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Clearly, the leverage of this action =
is horrible
- too high. We experimented with a 17mm and 16.5mm =
knuckle-to-centerpin
distance knuckles/shanks. They seemed to function very well - you =
could
regulate the notes quite well (we tried the 17mm on one note and the =
16.5 on
four notes). However, the improved leverage dropped all the DWs to =
around 41
and all the UW to about 16 or 18g. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Looking for a bit of input here - =
this is too
light, yes? Too light DW and the low UW will produce poor repetition, =
yes?
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Friction on the high friction notes =
dropped to 12
or so and BW dropped to 28 to 30. Calculated R goes from and average =
of 7.1 to
6.2 with the 16.5mm knuckles - likely down to about 6.0 with the 17mm
knuckles.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Using the Overs action ratio method =
(we did not
do actual measurements with the 16.5mm knuckles) I estimate that the =
knuckle
change would drop the action ratio down from the original average of =
6.4 to
5.9</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BUT, these keys have a whole bunch of =
lead in
them. We are thinking that, at a minimum, this action needs the =
knuckles
placed out at 17mm from the flange center pins to improve leverage. =
Then, that
will allow one or two leads to be removed from each key - remove =
enough lead
to make the DWs in the 50 gram range and the upweights will gain a =
similar
amount - around 10 grams or so and end up with about 27g =
UW.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ultimately, I think, this piano =
needs a
complete releading (setting gradational FWs) new hammers, shanks, =
knuckles and
flanges and gradational SWs (on some nice SW curve).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Don't know exactly what the piano =
owner will be
willing to do - apparently it is a not-so-well-to-do church. Phil has =
the
action at this point to evaluate it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyone care to comment on our =
thinking here?
Neither one of us are experienced with this balancing methodology =
enough to
decide exactly what to do on our own. And we recognize that maybe we =
need to
do a bunch more measuring also. But we have a start. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We'll be very interested in input.
Thanks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(I wonder if Phil managed to drive =
the 135 miles
home in the time I took me to write this email?)
:-(</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>