List,
I sent the post below privately and received back a LOOONG list of
some positively sadistic things to do. This particular tech had much
too much fun thinking up that list, so I thought you might have some
fun too, and come up with some ideas. Probably things you've run
across and it took a while to figure out the problem. It gives you
something to do over the weekend in all your spare time. :-)
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I want to see if you can help me with an idea I had for a chapter
technical for next month. The person I "thought" I had lined up just
backed out and the meeting is the second Saturday of the month.
What I have in mind is because of something an associate (I think
it was) said on the list one day. He said that one of the biggest
problems that most newer techs had/have is learning to troubleshoot
problems. Figure out the problem and how to correct it.
What I have in mind is to "booby trap" a vertical and a grand with
problems and get the techs there to figure out what the problem(s) is
and how to correct it. Sort of a hands on type of thing.
We meet in a church where there is a Kohler & Campbell Studio and
an OLD Steinway 'O' available. The 'O' belongs to my school so we
could do almost anything to it. The studio needs to be easily returned
to its original state. The grand is also used for a PACE class in the
morning, so I'll need to coordinate with the guy who teaches that.
What I need are some not too obvious "traps" to set that they might
have to spend a "little" time figuring out. I've got about 2-1/2 hours
to fill up. :-) I could also rig both pianos and let them divide up for
a while and then switch pianos.
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For the grand:
- weaken a repetition spring (poor repeating)
- move a jack too far out from under the knuckle (poor repeating)
- pop a repetition spring out of it's slot (dead note)
- move the action shift stop screw far enough in that it hits the
neighboring string with the soft pedal depressed (out of tune when
played softly)
- set a jack too high in its 'window' (misfires a lot)
- set the sostenuto rod just close enough to the damper levers that it
causes (sticky dampers)
- bend a damper wire so it hangs up in the bushing (sticky damper)
- bend a damper wire so it doesn't come down on a bichord evenly
(bleeding damper)
- loosen a screw on the key up-stop rail for a (buzz)
- loosen a flange screw for a (click)
- lay a penny on the soundboard for a (buzz)
- raise the damper stop rail for a ("funny feel to the key")
- put a penny between two keys for (sticky keys)
- put a paper clip, bent appropriately between the keyframe and keybed
(squeak)
- loosen the lyre screws enough for a squeak if you can get it to
For the vertical:
- dislocate a hammer butt spring for a (squeak)
- loosen a wippen flange for a click
- rig a pedal rod for a metallic buzz
- regulate a spoon so it holds the damper open just enough to be
irritating!
- set it so that one caster is off the floor enough to "buzz"
- put something like a 'glass candle holder' in the back against the
soundboard (noise!)
- if you want to be mean, remove a damper lever and simulate extreme wear
where the spoon hits the felt causing it to hang up (sticky note)
- You could also 'cause' a problem with strings 'riding up the bridge
pins'
- cause the keyslip to interfere with the keys (sticky keys)
- have 'accidents' to need repairs, such as rebushing of keys or centers
(pin a flange or two too tight)
- put the pedal assemblies together in such a fashion as to squeak or just
not work properly.
The list is practically endless! I'm actually looking forward to the
responses to this one. Maybe it'll be good for all of us, young and old,
green and seasoned.
Of course, it would be difficult to simulate some problems without damage
to the pianos. Major bridge or soundboard problems would probably be too
much. I don't know if you'd want to go so far as to deregulate touch bolts
or hammer drop or key level & dip, mostly in thinking that all of this
stuff has to be put back right, which might end up being a bit of work.
Just the ramblings of a tired tech. I could probably think of more but I
got tired just thinking about all of these things...
Best wishes,
Brian Trout
Quarryville, Pa.
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I might add one thing. Have them spend the first 3 minutes at the piano
blindfolded!!!
It is amazing how much more intelligently a tech will LOOK at an action
AFTER they have tried to feel their way through it. It was a humbling
experience for me, and I think about it every time I open a piano up.
Regards,
Ed Foote
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loosen the screws holding the let-off rail so escapement is very
inconsistent
push out a key lead so it rubs a neighbor key
put some wide front rail punchings under some # keys, so the naturals on
either side hit them too.
on a vertical, set the lowest tenor damper head so it interferes (buzzes)
with the highest bass string on a loud blow..
loosen the screws on the hinge of the damper lifter rod closest to the dowel.
Makes for spongy and uneven lift.
That's a start (it can be fun being sadistic)!
Gordon Large,
Maine
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On the grand damper upstop rail, adjust it so that one end is too low
and binds the keystroke and the other end so that the dampers bounce
drastically on a medium to hard blow. Fooled me :-)
Jim Bryant (FL)
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On the vertical, move the let-off rail in just far enough so that on
escapement the jack will wedge lightly between the rail and the butt
buckskin on some keystrokes.
This makes it appear to the casual observer that there is simply a sticky
key. The great thing about this is that if you haven't come across this
before, you can sit there and stare right at the problem and not see what
is going on. Guaranteed to be a laf riot!
Dave Bunch
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For an upright:
Take off a hammer head and put it back with no glue so it clicks when
struck, do the same with the hammer butt.
Replace the cushion felt with too thin a piece and too thick a piece -
messes up the touch.
For a Grand (not for a S&S though)
Move the wippen rail at the action standards (back or forward) so the
wippens are all out of alignment with the hammer rollers (knuckles) and
capstans.
Move the hammer rest rail so the tails of the hammers hit it.
Brian Lawson
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