Dear Gordon and List,
It is
possible to travel Billings flanges. As I remember, it requires two pairs
of fine nose pliers. Grab the narrow portion (near the centerpin) with
one plier, hold the tongues of the lower portion with the other pair,
and CRANK on it to bend the flange in the direction it needs to go to
correct the travelling.
Installing new Billings flanges in an old action is
the way to go, as the old ones often crack at the top, especially if
someone has installed an oversize pin along the line.
These
flanges were a great idea, one of many who have passed into the archives
of piano history. Earl Billings, now deceased, owned the Billings Baldwin
piano dealership here in Long Beach, California. He mentioned to me on
more than one occasion that it was his grandfather who invented and
patented the Billings flange.
Steve Schell
stfrsc@juno.com
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC