[CAUT] Sostenuto Trap Lever Repair

Paul Milesi, RPT paul at pmpiano.com
Wed Aug 11 10:14:36 MDT 2010


Ed,

Thanks for your thoughtful comments.  I believe this piano¹s trapwork is
complete.  The sos stop is in the usual place (to my knowledge) at the end
of the second lever.  As Tom McNeil points out, not the spot to provide the
levers protection from stress, but original design.  The rest of the
sostenuto seems OK, but I won¹t know how it¹s working until I finish the key
work, install shorter let-off buttons and the reconditioned lyre, and put it
all back together.  See my comments in reply to Tom re years of abuse.

Paul
-- 
Paul Milesi, RPT
Staff Piano Technician
Howard University Department of Music
Washington, DC



From: Ed  Sutton <ed440 at mindspring.com>
Reply-To: Ed  Sutton <ed440 at mindspring.com>, <caut at ptg.org>
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:56:30 -0400
To: <caut at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Sostenuto Trap Lever Repair

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
>> > 


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