<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=Windows-1252"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1400" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><SPAN class=318203206-10032004><FONT face=Arial>Whoa ... No one = took the quiz??? We used to have fun with these challenges. Oh, well, okay: I'll = post the answers because I said I would. They follow the = problems:</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT = face=Arial>Problem 1: Jack not resetting on one key. Removed a lot of slop (lost motion) but that = didn't fix it. Centers NOT sluggish, rail bushings not binding, rail pin not = turned, letoff about right.<SPAN class=318203206-10032004>  </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT = face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        >>>>> Bridal wire pulled out too far, strap was = pulling the hammer back before the jack could slip under it. </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT = face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN>Problem 2: One key played just = great unless you played it while holding down it's immediate neighbor, then = both locked up and wouldn't reset. Hammers and wooden action parts are NOT = binding, not even touching.<SPAN class=318203206-10032004>  </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT = face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT = face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        >>>>> Dueling bridal wires & backcheck rods. = (Isn't it amazing how many things we fix or regulate by bending, twisting, = warping, shimming, or sticking little pieces of paper behind/under things!!?)</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT><FONT = face=Arial>Problems 3 & 4: Several keys were low despite proper adjustment of whippen = height (capstans), etc. This piano has a thick wooden upstop rail = (keystrip? prop rail?), separate from the <SPAN = class=318203206-10032004> key cover </SPAN> & nameboard assembly. When I removed this, = the keys all fell beautifully level--after I adjusted a few capstans so the = hammers actually rested on the rest rail<SPAN class=318203206-10032004>, that = is</SPAN>. There were two reasons why the rail made a few hammers t<SPAN class=318203206-10032004>o</SPAN>o low: One involved a missing part, = the other was due to a little careless cosmetic work by someone.<SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT><FONT = face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT><FONT = face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        >>>>> Back of two replaced ivory tails were too thick so = I filed 'em down a little. Also, there is a screw that supports the middle of = the rail and keeps it from sagging in the center; it was missing.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><FONT><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004>Problem 5: A few notes (randomly located) went "thunk" when played and had = a very short sustain.<SPAN = class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        >>>>> Hammers blocking completely because backchecks were = mashed in too tight. (Or, to sound more professional: "Hammer checking was = severely out of regulation.")</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004>Problem 6: One note played perfectly well unless you struck it six or seven = times and then it would not play at all. A small adjustment with my thumb and = forefinger put everything right ... until you played the note a few = times and it locked up again. Etc. etc. ...<SPAN class=318203206-10032004>  </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        >>>>> Backcheck wire/rod had broken at the wippen. = Someone drilled a hole just in front of the old hole and shoved = the backcheck into it. When played, the catcher would knock the backcheck--which was off center--until it turned almost 90 degrees, after which the backcheck was = practically up against the catcher even in the rest position. So the = hammer could not bounce off the strings and check, it just ended up blocking = against the strings. JB Kwik Weld to the rescue. Interesting and inexplicable = why so many of these problems relate to wires sticking out of wippens. I'm = wondering if some tech didn't drop this action or knock it over!</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004>Problem 7: Couple of strings were very hard to tune: You'd bring them up to pitch, = with difficulty, but have trouble keeping them there even though pin torque = is 60 in. lbs. or better. There is a clue in the piano description.<SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        >>>>> Whoever pounded in the pins--which is a perfectly legitimate fix SOMETIMES on SOME pianos if DONE CORRECTLY, IMHO--put = some of the coils so close to the plate that they bottomed out before the = string was up to pitch! I'm surprised the strings didn't break. Only = thing I knew to do was carefully pop out the becket, turn the pin out a ways, = replace the string, tune it, then tap it to a reasonable height.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004>Problem 8: One note sounded like the damper wasn't lifting at all (it was) and two of = its neighbors made buzzing, rattling sounds when played.<SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN = class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004>        >>>>> This will generally happen when you drop a stick = mute into the guts. Sorry, that was a cheap shot. But we do find many objects = that kids, mice, AND tuners  have deposited in the works. The Barbie = Doll shoe was the toughest to find. True story: I once missplaced my needlenose = pliers. Gave up on finding them and bought a new pair. Six months later, = I sat down to tune a Hamilton console for one of my rural church clients. = I generally run up all the notes, first, to see how the tuning has = held, spot any way-off strings, and make sure the keys play okay. In doing = this I noticed that several keys in the bass seemed "heavy" and = rattly, though the client had never complained.  Opened the lid and .... = well, you guessed it.  </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=146024922-08032004><SPAN class=318203206-10032004><FONT = face=Arial></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial>Alan R. Barnar<SPAN class=318203206-10032004>d </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=318203206-10032004><FONT = face=Arial>It's 12:30 a.m. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=318203206-10032004><FONT = face=Arial>Just back from my PTG chapter meeting -- which was two hours away from</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV align=left><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN><FONT = face=Arial>Salem, MO<SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=318203206-10032004> </SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> <BR> <P><FONT SIZE=2>---<BR> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.<BR> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).<BR> Version: 6.0.592 / Virus Database: 375 - Release Date: 2/18/2004<BR> </FONT> </P>