Rubber grommets

[Roger Jolly]

RAt 01:53 PM 9/4/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>I have to go and replace the rubber grommets  on a late 70's Baldwin spinet.
>It has little plastic nuts on the spinet wires, then a felt washer, then the
>rubber grommets that stick into the key fork. They have hardened and are now
>clicking badly. 
>
A Fast simple solution is as follows;

1)  Use a 1/4" Xelite nut driver with the universal lugs ground off in a
hand drill. The centre of the shaft in hollow and will give plenty of
clearance for the pick up wire.
2)  Remove and reinstall grommets.
3)  Screw on nuts by hand a couple of turns and clip grommet back into finger.
4)  Use drill to drive the nuts to approx position. If you watch the hammer
carefully while doing this, stop as soon as it begins to move.
5)  Adjust nuts by hand for correct lost motion

    When using a drill it is important have the grommets clipped back into
the pick up finger to avoid undue stress at the wippen.
    P.S. It's a little over an hours work after your first attempt.  I
would also order 6 spare nuts from Baldwin with the set of grommets as I
have had the odd one break.
    Hope this helps.  
>
Roger Jolly
University of Saskatchewan
Dept. of Music.