<html> Hi Tom,             A lot of that noise is probably coming from the keys.   The maple shoes ( balance rail holes) coming from a damp climate and going to to extreme dry climate tend to loosen and make a racket.   I size the holes with half white glue and water, and leave over night for the glue to harden.  Then size and fit the keys the next day. Samick products often come from the factory with over sized BR holes. Regards Roger At 01:56 PM 9/19/01 -0400, you wrote: <blockquote type=cite cite>List: The noise of the action parts settling after releasing the keys on a client's 1978 Baldwin R is more noticeable the last few years after it was moved to the desert in Grand Junction from Florida.  I noticed the same thing on my 1970 Yamaha G3 after moving here from San Francisco.  The back rail felt on the Baldwin looks pretty compressed compared to the ends that are not receiving the blows from the key ends.  On the Yamaha, the back rail felt still seems pretty cushy and I think a lot of the noise is from the knuckles bouncing/hitting on the rep lever.  Hammer flange friction on both pianos is 4-7 swings, so those aren't rattling I don't think. Any thoughts and experience others have on trying to quiet actions would be appreciated.  Once knuckles get hard, can they be softened?  How? Does replacing back rail felts help much?   Come to think of it, I also have a client with a brand new 6'1" Kohler/Campbell(Samick) that makes a big racket when releasing the keys, and a Baldwin M at the college and .....  :) Thanks! Tom Merrill, Associate Grand Junction, CO </blockquote> </html>