[CAUT] Agraff levels

[Joe And Penny Goss]

MessageHi Should have proofed
Their
The thinner vial is inserted into a hole drilled into the 1/4" body of the level with a window that helps make certain the tool is used in the same orientation each and every time.
The most often asked question?
"Does the piano need to be level?"
Yes, but only to determine if the bubble is in the window. If it is, level to the same spot.
If it is not, one needs to shim a leg.
With uneven agraff,
level the strings to the foot of the tool with the least slant, and file the hammer to mate the string.
At the struts often one or two unisons can not be leveled with the foot. Eric Schandall showed me how he lays the level on its side under the strut to reach these strings. 
Eric has purchased 20 or so levels. I think he gives them away to folks who attend Steinway seminars and do not have one <g>
Joe Goss RPT
Mother Goose Tools
imatunr at srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joe And Penny Goss 
  To: College and University Technicians 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 1:16 PM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] Agraff levels


  Hi Lance,
  To my knowledge string - hammer mating was never done on the level ( sorry ) that it is today.
  It was more a mater of mating the hammer to whatever the strings were. Sorry if there was a problem when the una corda pedal was used.
  It may have been Fazioli who was the first to use a level on their instruments. There level was / is 
  a piece of brass H channel with a vial in the top and the base cut so it will cover just one unison.
  Very light and for me too light. When one plucks the string too hard to test for good mating, the level tends to bounce off the unison.
  I introduced my first level at the Orlando national. It was way too light. Only 10 were made.
  We settled on using a brass blank that weighs about 45 grams and with the vial almost 50 grams.
  The only real change in the brass model was to use a thinner vial so that the tool would stand up a little better to dropage without the vial popping off.
  Joe Goss RPT
  Mother Goose Tools
  imatunr at srvinet.com
  www.mothergoosetools.com
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: lafargue at bellsouth.net 
    To: 'College and University Technicians' 
    Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 8:42 AM
    Subject: Re: [CAUT] Agraff levels


    At the beginning of this thread I was concerned about an Estonia with tilted agraffes and uneven agraffe/string holes.  It was to the point that I couldn't bend a string enough to compensate for good string/hammer mating. I have seen this on other pianos, but not this much.  

    It would be interesting to know who makes agraffes and are the plate makers aware of the importance of a level plane (duh, probably).  With the increase in our world-wide market for parts now, I wonder who makes them.  

    The bottom line is that you cannot prep a piano to a high level without this to lay a foundation on.  


    Lance Lafargue, RPT

    LAFARGUE PIANOS, LTD

    New Orleans Chapter, PTG

    985.72P.IANO

    lafargue at bellsouth.net

    www.lpianos.com

     

     

     

      -----Original Message-----
      From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fred Sturm
      Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:53 AM
      To: College and University Technicians
      Subject: Re: [CAUT] Agraff levels


      I don't know where Steinway buys agraffes, but they now own Kelly Plate, and they have upgraded that facility to install a computer controlled drilling process. The spacing of agraffes in new pianos is MUCH better in the past two to three years. I suspect the square of the holes (hence lack of cant of the agraffes) is much better, too - I haven't noticed much trouble leveling strings on the few new instruments I have serviced. They used to have Kelly drill their plates. Bad idea.  
      All that said, perfection of hole drilling in cast iron is iffy at best. The unevenness of the material itself causes bits to chatter, at least in my experience. It's not like drilling brass.

      Regards,
      Fred Sturm
      University of New Mexico
      fssturm at unm.edu






      On Jul 17, 2006, at 8:04 PM, Willem Blees wrote:


        It sounds like we're talking about two different issues. One is the 

        level of the agraff itself, compared to the level of the of the plate. 

        What you claiming is that the plane of the agraff holes are not level 

        with the plate. Which could be caused by poor drilling, or that the 

        counter sink of the agraff hole is not flat, which will cause the 

        agraff to cant to one side when it is tightened. 




        The other issue is the holes in the agraff, which is what I was 

        referrring to. Although there might be very minute differnces in the 

        plane of the holes compared to the top of the agraff, I think the holes 

        themselves are level. 




        BTW, does Steinway make their own agraffs, or are they outsourced?




        Wim 

        Willem Blees, RPT

        Piano Tuner/Technician

        School of Music

        University of Alabama

        Tuscaloosa, AL USA


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