--On Monday, May 31, 2004 12:37 PM -0700 Susan Kline <skline@peak.org> wrote: > Well, Fred, while I agree with you in general (only not on 1/4" check > distance) I can think of one time when one needs this much safety margin. > I've had to deal with blocking and bobbling in too many otherwise nicely > rebuilt grand actions after they've been delivered and played a few > weeks. For that matter, I've had to fix dragging backchecks as well, on a > well-rebuilt grand. My general theory has been that the (good) rebuilder > just put too ambitious a regulation on when the parts were new and were > going to settle in. Hi Susan, Actually 1/4" check was Roger Jolly talking, not me. I do like close checking, but usually within 1/2" does it for me, with 3/8" as general minimum (and that depends on tail profile). Blocking often shows up on newly rebuilt pianos because the regulation button felt is new and soft, and the tenders pack them more quickly than compaction of knuckles will compensate for. Hence, I like to iron those new felts. How? With a hammer sizing caul or a hammer iron. Or, if you can remove the regulating rail, with a clothes iron. If you have the wipps out, sometimes a cloths iron can be used with regulating rail in place. We're talking pressing like you press hammer felt or keybushing felt, not too much heat and not too much pressure, but enough to compress a bit and make the fibers lie down neatly together. With care that you are pressing parallel to the button wood, so the felt is flat, not wedged. Regards, Fred
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