Flanges

[Newton Hunt]

Dear List,

This weekend I finished installing new flanges on my 1971 Yamaha P2-F
#1444913.  The problem was that the old spring threads were rotting
away (New Jersey has the highest air pollution index in the states
except LA) and the hammers were bobbling (hitting the strings two or
more times instead of once.

It was really annoying my wife who was practice to accompany a friend
singing Forre.

Fully half the threads were broken so ordered new flanges from Yamaha.

When I got the flanges I checked the pinning on each one and used Don
Mannino's broach set to ream and burnish the tight ones.  Bless
Yamaha, I found only two imperfect  flanges, one had no thread and the
other the bushing holes were drilled off center, front to back, about
.5 mm.  Since I got 90 flanges and have extras in stock this was not a
problem.  I clipped the pins and started late one night to change the
flanges.  I got three done and had to quite because I was so tired I
couldn't find the holes.

The next day I cleaned off my work bench (I forgot that it was brown),
put away tools and supplies and threw away junk.  I set the action up
in a cradle and started at the top and worked down to the bottom.  I
am as slow as molasses in winter so it took me all day to install the
new flanges.  Before I reinstalled each hammer I bench voiced them
deeply and checked that each flange was properly free.

One mistake I made was trying to maintain spacing on the bench.  I
could see where the old string cuts were and tried to space the
hammers to compensate for the off center ones.  Didn't work; waste of
time.

If I had removed the let-off rails the job would have been much easier
because I would have had straight line access to the screw holes.

I had to reinstall the action so Jean could use it to teach ear
training.

I spent time spacing the hammers, checking for travel requirements
(none) and retightening the screws.

The next day I files the hammers (second time since new), blew out the
action with compressed air (first time since new) and adjusted the
capstans (5th or 6th time), leveled some keys, checked but did not do
let-off and pitch raised and tuned to pitch.

I found the following FAC #s, 9.8 5.6 8.3.  After the first pass I
remeasured and entered 9.4, 6.6, 6.6.  More careful measurements,
added 1 cent to A and deducted 1 cent from C.  Very nicely stretched
octaves and not an overly stretched top octave.  _I_ liked the result.

Did a little, very little, touch up voicing and called it a job.

This is the second reflange I have done.  I am a slow learner so I
should be a little faster next time.