[CAUT] Dampers, (was harpsichord etc)

Sat Jun 13 12:58:08 MDT 2009

   Hello Ed,  
   I appreciate the feedback. Maybe I need to clarify in response to your observation that

   "The wires do not need to be lubed to operate properly, at least, not the 
ones I have serviced for over 30 years in a school setting..."

  There are more reasons for lubing the wires than proper operation of the damper. Before I get to that, I should add that depressing the sustain pedal while lubing them in the piano in order to get the solvent on the wire at the bushing point helps. The problem with reducing the pressure bend is as I had described in the post you quoted, that the dampers begin rattling when the gap is there in my experience. I prefer to use a lubricant than reducing the pressure bend to prevent this, something that is avoided by not leaving the gap in the rebuilding process.

   Accuracy is obtained more easily in the damper regulation process when lubing the entire damper wire, and tightening the damper lever screws, snug, not tight. Twisting the damper is possible with or without removal of the action when approaching it this way without loosening the damper lever screw, and one also avoids putting a notch in the damper wire by not over-tightening the damper lever screw, which makes modifying the damper level as the felt wears easier, preventing the screw from forcing the damper wire back to the original place when attempting to raise or lower the damper placement in the lever. In other words over-tightening can leave a notch in the damper wire, or a scratch, if an effort is made to twist the damper while it is tight, or not properly lubricated. As for slipping of the damper wire in the damper lever by using this method, this rarely occurs, and in the University setting, if it does, you are there to fix it quick as pressure bend problems. It is also consistent with the Steinway approach of reducing friction at action centers to do this, though the location where the damper wire and the damper guide rail felt meet is not usually described as an action center, without causing the kind of problems people complain about where Steinway action centers proper are concerned. I used to get chewed out for over-tightening the damper screws in the shop I started working in for this very reason. 

    More than one way to skin a cat...

   Thanks for responding,
  - Ben

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of A440A at aol.com
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 8:40 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] Dampers, (was harpsichord etc)

Ben Sloane writes:  
<< It is also possible that Steinway is not pre-lubing the damper wires, 
which we always did before installation, and as a result, even though we did 
not leave a gap, ours rarely failed to return to rest position, while quite a 
few of the new Steinways at CCM are having this problem even with the gap. 
I do not understand why Steinway won’t pre-dip the uninstalled damper wires 
into some kind of lubricating solution, which would be very simple at that 
stage, or if they are, why the solution is not working. >>

Greetings, 
   The wires do not need to be lubed to operate properly, at least, not the 
ones I have serviced for over 30 years in a school setting.  It doesn't 
hurt, but it is not necessary.  What the wires need is to be properly traveled 
with just the slightest contact on one side of the bushing.   New Steinways 
often exhibit damper sluggishness, but it is because of the wires' excessive 
side pressure on the bushing guide rail felt. Every new Steinway grand I 
have seen had this problem, even one recently that was "rebuilt" in the 
factory restoration dept. 
     I suppose the heavy pressure is allowed to make the dampers appear to 
travel straight, but it is false economy.  The excessive pressure causes the 
bushing felt to wear, which causes the damper to migrate sideways, which 
causes the wedges to begin distorting, which causes increasing "yowl" upon 
return.  It would also help if the treble-side tray support blocks were fitted 
snugly between the keybed and the bellyrail, since the loose ones allow the 
block to tilt, which allows the tray to move laterally, which causes 
marginally traveled wires to bind.  
    I own a 1914 model O which has the original guide rail felt in it, and 
the dampers travel straight and true with the original bends in the wire, so 
I know it can be done.  It just takes more care than many of them are given 
these days.  

Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
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