[CAUT] Sostenuto Trap Lever Repair

[Ed Sutton]

Paul-

Something is wrong here.
Isn't there supposed to be a shim above the lever at the pedal rod, to prevent pushing too far?
Was the sostenuto out of regulation, requiring excessively hard pedaling to get it to work? What would this have done to the monkey, linkage and rod? Was something wrong about the pitman? (Too short?) Is the pitman there at all, or has it gone missing, and someone broke the lever trying to make the system work? Look inside.
Find another S & S D, and take a careful look to see how the trap levers are set up.

Ed S.



  > Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 02:11:11 -0400
  > From: paul at pmpiano.com
  > To: caut at ptg.org
  > Subject: [CAUT] Sostenuto Trap Lever Repair
  > 
  > Check out the attached photos of a 1970 Steinway D sostenuto trap lever
  > which is cracked the long way and with the direction of stress. Someone
  > tried to repair it at some point by wrapping it with packing tape (no glue).
  > 
  > What are the chances of effecting a successful glue repair? I know I've
  > been told many times that a glue repair is stronger than the original wood,
  > but will it really take the stress of the leverage applied by the sostenuto
  > pedal along such a long break?
  > 
  > I just finished loading it up with Titebond and clamping tightly with an
  > aluminum rail on one side for support, and a couple small clamps holding
  > portions that extend to a point, etc. Figure I'll give it 24 hours clamped,
  > see what happens. Any bets? If it doesn't work, I guess the school will
  > just have to spring for a new one. If this piano ends up being used for
  > recitals, would buying new be more reliable than a repair?
  > 
  > Also, the half-rounded part that interfaces with the other wooden lever
  > seems to be covered with something thick and black. Is this just old grease
  > of some kind, or is there supposed to be leather there and it's
  > disintegrated?
  > -- 
  > Paul Milesi, RPT
  > Staff Piano Technician
  > Howard University Department of Music
  > Washington, DC
  > 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/attachments/20100811/0d48a136/attachment-0001.htm>