<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>Hi Robin. Thanks for responding. I sent this = private as the list appears to have only negative thoughts about this action. My = comments are interspersed below:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <DIV> <SPAN id=__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- <DIV>From: "Robin Hufford" <<A href="mailto:hufford1@airmail.net">hufford1@airmail.net</A>></DIV> <DIV>To: "Pianotech" <<A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A>></DIV> <DIV>Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 4:37 AM</DIV> <DIV>Subject: Re: Chickering 1/4 Grand Action Rebuild</DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>> Terry,<BR>>      Some may think these = pianos are unworthy of  substantial effort at rebuilding but my experience = has been exactly the contrary.  The unusual, but not difficult design = features, perhaps, frustrate at times but, nevertheless, done well, the end result = is a very nice sounding piano with a sound that is much larger in tone that = what one would expect from such a small piano, but, with an insignificant = difference in the high treble which some may call a deficiency but, for = myself,<BR>> is still quite musical and acceptable.   I am not sure which = model Quarter Grand you will encounter - the 121 which is 5' 4" or so, the 133 = which is c. 5' 7'  or, an even more rare model, the 122, again 5'4" but = with no cheek blocks.  Nevertheless, all can be great pianos.<BR>>      I am more familiar with the 121's as I have = rebuilt a number over the years and have maintained the hammer angles and layout = of the shanks and whippens consistent with the original designs, again, with = good results.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>This piano is a scale 121, built in 1907, and = is 5' 7" long.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>>      The Chickering brass flanged = action which continued in use until the first decade of the previous century, along = with its brass flanges and other characteristics was, in my opinion, an = exceedingly well designed action and probably, more expensive to manufacture than that of = Steinway, although, there is no doubt in my mind, that Steinway made = their parts of a better quality of wood; the condition of  actions from pianos = of similar ages from both companies easily demonstrates<BR>> this.  = The Chickering  action centers are stabilized at least as well as is = achieved by Steinway's  use of the  tubular action rail, and, possibly = more so.  Both systems developed in response to the need for more = stability of rails as a predicate for stability of regulation, something which we, = nowdays, take for granted but which, in the early and mid  part of the 19th = century was a significant technical and production problem.  This action = morphed progressively into another,<BR>> more conventional action, from the = period, roughly of 1905 to 1910, in several stages.<BR>> =      In the original, long used action, the brackets were of plywood, with brass = flanges holding the action centers onto metal rails using metal screws.  = Both whippen and hammer rails were of metal. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>This action has plywood brackets, but I think = (?????) the rails are wood. It does have the brass flanges.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> What is to me an intelligent design feature is evident in the = angling of the whippens and shanks in order to square up the rotation of the = action centers with that of the key; this is achieved by angling whippens and = shanks so that they are more nearly parallel with the key itself<BR>> which = mitigates the difference in moment developed at the ends of the centers under = rotation that occurs when they are not squared to the rotation of the key as = happens as the flaring of the keys becomes more or less great - a design feature = of, perhaps, arguable efficiency but, certainly a worthy refinement of analysis.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>This action DEFINATELY has angled wippens and = shanks!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>>      The idea, more conventional and = still in use, that the sides of the hammers should be squared to the strings and = that the rotation of shanks and whippens should be at 90 degrees to the strings = with the hammers angled to achieve this is only one alternative.  The = Chickering or Brown, whose design it was, concept was to consider the efficiency of = transfer of motion from key to action center to be more important works just as = well in my experience - this said having rebuilt<BR>> and played a number of = these and, of course, many of the more conventional systems.<BR>>      A progressive transformation of these actions = ensued from about 1905 or so.  This began, as far as I can tell, with a = change to wooden flanges on the hammer rail and your piano probably has brass = flanges and a  metal  rail for the whippens and a wooden rail with wooden = flanges for the hammershanks.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>Again, I know it has brass wippen flanges (I = have replaced several) and I think (???) it has wooden rails and brass shank = flanges - but I could be wrong - so many pianos.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>>      It is possible to order the brass = flanges although frequently they lack adequate grooving and this has to been = enlarged by filing.  The wooden shanks and flanges are available.<BR>>      It is extremely important that the weight characteristics of the hammers be reproduced; this means cold pressed, = springy, well tapered, well shaped, and hence, light American hammers like those = produced by Ronsen, Schaff or others.   The use of the big, hard, = overly dense Asian or European supplied hammer is asking for trouble, both tonally = and mechanically and I attribute much of the disdain encountered = occasionally among other technicians to a poor choice of hammers,<BR>> among other = things.  Using relatively light resilient hammers similar to those the piano was = designed for does necessitate more string lifting and levelling for full tonal development but the time spent in this is well worth the effort in = results obtained and the piano, in my mind, cannot be fairly evaluated with = substantial tone building after regulation.<BR>>      = Eventually, this action morphed into a more conventional action with metal brackets, = wooden rails, squared action centers and, again,  more conventional hammer = boring. Even though, to the eye, this form appears conventional it is not = completely so,  at least for those produced up until around 1930 or so.  = The keyed has the characteristic Chickering rail and style construction in which  no glue used in the railed area under the keyframe which is = designed to allow the panels<BR>> to expand and contract from left to right or = right to left and and move along the keybed rails.  It,  apparently, = was thought, and is, sufficiently stable that the company felt that the = rails of the keyframe itself could be permitted full contact with the keybed, which = they do.  They are flat and fully in contact with the keybed; glides are = absent, unlike most other,  Steinway-style pianos.    If = yours is an intermediary stage, it will probably have the wooden flanges up = top<BR>> and, as said before, metal below, with this kind of keybed/keyframe configuration.   If you have plywood brackets they can be = easily repaired if necessary with various glues.<BR>> =      The pinblock may be a segmented, four piece block fitted into four separate compartaments, each with double flanges, and attached to the plate above = with machine screws installed from the bottom side, or it may be the more = ordinary two piece or one piece block fastened with wood screws from the = top.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>Pinblock is two piece with machine screws = installed from the bottom side. But he is not ready for belly rebuilding at this = time - the piano definately is ready - but his pocket book is not. His action = is so bad - it is falling apart - I leave a half dozen shanks and = flanges with him each time I tune his piano.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>>      Again, a much part maligned = design, but one which works well,   is the four piece/ double flanged, = machine screw system.   This is not as hard or time-consuming to = install as was made out last month on this same subject.  All one has to do is = to remove the old segments of the block which come out easily and cut them = in two at the offset at the point in the wood that represents the junction of = the two flanges so that they can be laid back in the recess in the cast iron, one<BR>> on top of the other.  Where this is is readily evident = to the eye as the two flanges are offset, of course, one from the = other.   There will then be eight panels, that is two per segment with each pair = of panels corresponding to a segment.    Allowing for the = saw kerf and,  using the old panels as a pattern for the new ones,  cut = and plane the new ones to size.  Then fit each panel to its respective = flange, glue them together, mark and drill.<BR>> =       This is easily done by fitting the deeper panel singly, then by extending a = small guide hole drilled earlier in the plate into the lower panel once it is fitted.  Once these are acceptable, the pin can be kept in, fixing = the two and the upper panel laid down onto the recess, the upper panel then = fitted and, when acceptable, the hole then extended  into the upper = panel.  This then allows the entire segment to be glued together in situ which will = ensure the fitting remains.<BR>> Believe me, as the individual panels are = hardly an inch or so wide, and using the old ones as a guide, it is quick and easy = work to fit them to the flanges.   Then mark and drill, in or out of = the piano as one chooses.<BR>>       The bridges in = the treble, particularly, tend to have bad splitting along the  front = bridge pins which, of course, should be addressed either by recapping or = otherwise repairing but the pins need everywhere to be secured with epoxy or CA as = preferred.<BR>>       An aggravating = problem, difficult of diagnosis is the possibility of a the very first, extremely = short rib being loose or the soundboard button next to it being = loose.   This is difficult to address directly as the key bed is in the = way.  One has to work around this one way or another.<BR>>       Frequently, the board will be nearly = flat, - the utility of, need for, and designed intent of crown in this context is = another subject -  but if the design characteristics of the instrument are maintained, a wonderful, expressive tone can readily be the result while = using the old board and makes worthwhile the effort.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>I haven't evaluated the board yet, but I do = remember that it only had five ribs!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>I know shanks are available - I have = installed many replacements on this piano (come to think of it, it does have brass = shank flanges because we always need to remove the wooden one and put the old = brass one on).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#ff0000>Are replacement wippens available? His are = really trashed.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><BR>> Regards, Robin Hufford<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> = Farrell wrote:<BR>> <BR>> > I have a customer with a 1906 Chickering = Quarter Grand. He left a message saying he is ready to rebuild the action. I = know these pianos have a lot of odd-ball characteristics - brass flanges, wippens = angled to rail, etc. Can anyone state the very basic pitfalls of rebuilding these = actions. I'm not asking for a full treatise here, just the ABCs of why the old = Chickering actions are so troublesome. And, are part available, or does one need to = rebuild the old wips, etc. Thanks.<BR>> ><BR>> > Terry = Farrell<BR>> ><BR>> > = _______________________________________________<BR>> > pianotech list info: <A href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org= /mailman/listinfo/pianotech</A><BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> = pianotech list info: <A href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives">http://www.ptg.org= /mailman/listinfo/pianotech</A></DIV></BODY></HTML>