<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Re: Fwd: Smoky piano</TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <STYLE type=text/css>BLOCKQUOTE { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } DL { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } UL { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } OL { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } LI { PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px } </STYLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1276" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>When installing the new hammer rail springs, I have found that drilling an extra hole for the spring, and installing it like a French butt spring, keeps the wire in the slot. Also make sure that you use a piece of welding rod, in the coil when bending for tension, saves from deforming the coil.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>I used to get the old wire out, put in the new wire, and try to bend it into the slot with a pair of pliers I modified, but I could never get it to lie fully in the slot.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>I think it was Brian Lawson, or Jon Page that suggested this method to me.</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Regards,</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=dsmith941@comcast.net href="mailto:dsmith941@comcast.net">Dave Smith</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, December 13, 2003 7:31 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Hammer Spring Rail and plastic action parts question</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks for the advice, William. I have been trying to dig out the spring tails which are still firmly embedded in the cuts on the underside of the metal rail..  Can't get them out.  I may try bending the new springs around the underside of the rail and hot glueing a felt strip to secure.  Any other advice, pls reply.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave Smith</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sw Fl</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=A440WRMPiano@tm.net href="mailto:A440WRMPiano@tm.net">William R. Monroe</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 12, 2003 7:52 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Hammer Spring Rail and plastic action parts question</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>Dave,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>I just did this job today.  My two cents:  dig 'em out.  It took me three hours to:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Pull Action</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Remove Spring Rail</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Remove Backing Felt</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Lift out old springs</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Cut new Springs to size</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Set new Springs in Rail</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Bend to shape</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>-Reinstall Felt and Rail in Action</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>By the time you are done manufacturing a new rail, drilling perfectly spaced holes, and then going through the same process of installing new springs, it would be a wash - or even easier to pry out the old springs.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Bookman Old Style" size=4>William R. Monroe<BR>Assoc.<BR>Madison, WI</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=dsmith941@comcast.net href="mailto:dsmith941@comcast.net">Dave Smith</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, December 12, 2003 12:06 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Hammer Spring Rail and plastic action parts question</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a customer with a 1947 Story and Clark console piano with most of the hammer butt springs broken,  It has the extra old felt strip under the spring coils, and that is where the corrosion originates.  I read about this in an old journal article, along with the advice, to try to replace the rail, rather than diggout 88 spring holes, etc.  Does anyone know if it is still possible to get a spring rail duplicated at a reasonable cost?    Any advice?  Piano is is pristine shape other than this.  It does have almost all action parts in yellowing plastic, but they dont seem to be crumbly like others I have seen.  Maybe there were some good plastic batched back then?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dave Smith</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>SW FL</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>