New Chickering Querry

[FirTree@aol.com]

>From:      jpage@selway.umt.edu (Jeff Stickney)
>Sender:    pianotech@byu.edu
>Reply-to:  pianotech@byu.edu
>To:  pianotech@byu.edu (Multiple recipients of list)
>
>        The question of the day - did Chickering & all of his Sons have an
>unusual penchant for creativity?  I serviced an old Chickering upright
>yesterday with brass rail flanges which had four broken and evidence of many
>others which had been previously serviced ( the people recently moved here).
>The problem is this:  The hammer springs are Schwander type - coming off the
>hammer butt - and the cord that usually comes of the wooden flange is coming
>through a hole in the top of the brass flange.  The broken ones had all
>broken at the screw, so just put on a new one right?  Well the older ones
>were taller than the rail to allow for that hole for the cord to pass
>through, and the replacements aren't.  I tried a couple creative solutions
>but none seemed to duplicate in an effective way.  Any ideas or source for
>those flanges with a hole would be appreciated. Thanks!
>Jeff Stickney, RPT
>University of Montana
>jpage@selway.umt.edu

Yes, Chickering had a penchant for 'innovation.' I have customers with 3 of
the aforementioned uprights, one of which I tune (minus 3 or 4 notes). The
rails appear to be fine on these, but the butt plates are on the way out. I'm
waiting for one of the customers to get excited about fixing the rails, and
then I will try and offer deals to the others to make it worthwhile for the
supply house to gear up for the butt plates. I assume the rails wouldn't cost
more than usual. If your customer is really wanting to invest in the piano,
let me know and maybe I can generate some business, too.

Dave Stocker RPT
firtree@aol.com
Tumwater, WA