---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hi David, I think you will find Ed Kotticks's book, The Harpsichord Owner's Guide =20= (1987. U.of North Carolina Press) a very helpful resource for ALL your =20= harpsichord questions. He is very thorough on regulation methods and =20= sequence. For now, my advice would be to not ease another bushing before you =20 "Flitz" all key pins with a cotton rag and then McLube both sets of =20 pins. This will very likely correct most of your bushing problems. To =20= go after the bushing without doing this first, can result in "clicking" =20= keys due to overly enlarged bushings - and they STILL may be sluggish, =20= even then. All best, Robert ------------------------------------------------------------------------=20= --------------------------- Robert A. Murphy Piano Technician & Curator of Fortepianos Oberlin Conservatory of Music cell: 517.285.3269 shop: 440.775.8275 On Apr 17, 2005, at 04:41 PM, David Vanderhoofven wrote: > I got to spend quite a bit of time yesterday afternoon and evening =20= > learning about and working on a harpsichord.=A0 The professor who = built =20 > it showed me how to take it apart and put it back together.=A0 We took = =20 > all the jacks out, eased some sluggish keys and replaced 3 broken =20 > strings.=A0 I watched him do some voicing on a few notes. > > The harpsichord is a Flemish Double, built in about 1991 from a =20 > Zuckerman kit.=A0 It has two 8-foot choirs and one 4-foot choir.=A0 It = =20 > will transpose 1/2 step lower to play at baroque pitch.=A0 There is a =20= > spacer (about 1/2 inch thick) that goes in between the cheek block and = =20 > the side of the case.=A0 For modern pitch, the spacer is inserted in =20= > between the left side of the case and the left cheek block.=A0 For =20 > baroque pitch, the spacer is removed from the left side and inserted =20= > in between the right cheek block and the right side of the case. > > There is a coupler lever on the left and one on the right.=A0 Each =20= > coupler lever slides on of the jack rails back and forth to move one =20= > choir of jacks away from the strings so they won't sound, or closer to = =20 > the strings so they will sound.=A0 Also, the two manuals can be = coupled =20 > by sliding the upper keyboard back, so that the lower manual (With the = =20 > longer keys) can also move the upper keys.=A0 When the two manuals are = =20 > coupled together, the lower manual will play all three choirs at the =20= > same time. > > String replacement is straight forward and relatively simple.=A0 > > Easing the keys seems rather crude.=A0 The key pins are much smaller =20= > diameter than in a piano.=A0 There is a mortice for the key pin to = move =20 > forward and back in, but there are no keybushings.=A0 The front key = pin =20 > is located at approximately the balance point of the key, and the back = =20 > key pin is located close to where the capstan would go in a piano =20 > key.=A0 With the keys and keyframe out, we played each key a few times = =20 > to find the sluggish keys.=A0 When we found a sluggish key, we took = the =20 > key off the keyframe and inserted a spare key pin into the mortice and = =20 > moved it back and forth until the key was no longer sluggish.=A0 > > I suggested to the professor about polishing the keypins and =20 > lubricating the keypins, and he was hesitant, wondering if the polish =20= > or lubricant would contaminate the keys.=A0 I was thinking of using =20= > Flitz or Simichrome polish and the cleaning the key pins well, then =20= > applying McLube or a teflon spray to the key pins.=A0 Or perhaps =20 > applying a little bit of micro-fine teflon powder on the keypins?=A0 > > Question #1. Have any of you noticed any ill effects from =20 > polishing/lubricating harpsichord keypins?=A0 Is any lubrication =20 > necessary or even helpful on harpsichord keypins? > > Question #2.=A0 How can you tell if the key pin is tight at the top or = =20 > the bottom of the key? > > The keys have very small white cloth balance rail punchings around the = =20 > balance rail pin and under the key, and I assume one would be able to =20= > level the keys in a similar fashion to leveling the keys on a piano.=A0 = =20 > However, I think that the paper and card punchings I have are quite a =20= > bit larger than the cloth punchings on this harpsichord. > > Question #3.=A0 Can I use regular paper and card punchings to level =20= > keys in a harpsichord, or do I need to buy some special smaller =20 > punchings for this purpose? > > There are no front punchings to adjust key dip individually for each =20= > key.=A0 Rather there are touch rails that limit the upward travel of = the =20 > key.=A0 The touch rail for the lower manual is attached to the back of = =20 > the keyframe, and contacts the key near the end of each key.=A0 The =20= > touch rail for the upper manual is attached to the inside of the =20 > action cavity, in a similar location to the damper upstop rail in a =20= > modern grand piano.=A0 It would seem that any adjustment for key dip = is =20 > done by adjusting the touch rails up or down, and it would seem that =20= > this is purely a gross adjustment. > > Question #4.=A0 Is it possible to do fine adjustment of key dip on a =20= > harpsichord, and how is this done?=A0 Or should I even worry about = this =20 > on a harpsichord? > > The harpsichord will be used as part of the continuo for the Vivaldi =20= > Concerto in C major for Two Trumpets & Orchestra, R. 537. > > Question #5.=A0 What would be an appropriate temperament to use for a = =20 > harpsichord with this music? > > Thank you all for this wonderful list and your help! > > David Vanderhoofven > ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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