Touchweight

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Ted,
           Bench regulations are only good for a 'rough in'. There is
always a certain amount of flex in the action frames. Unless you get very
lucky and the bench is identical to the keybed it will never quite work.
Soft wood action frames seem to be even worse. On older pianos where the
glide bolts have worn a dimple in the keybed, and after bedding the frame
regulating on the bench then returning the actiion to the piano can be a
real disaster.  Suddenly no let off, drop and dip, years ago I would wonder
what I was doing wrong. So for bench 'rough in' I always leave the drop and
let off wide. it seems to create less confusion, and the job goes a little
faster.
Roger


At 01:22 PM 22/08/99 -0400, you wrote:
>A thread I started a while back was about a Church's grand action that
>needed regulation and the music director asked me see if I could make the
>touch lighter.  While the action was on the bench I took touchweight
>measurements and everything was within spec.  The action should not have
>felt heavy to the music director.  So I was puzzled.  Well, I regulated the
>action and everything adjusted well.  On the bench the action played
>normally with a heavy blow and also with a light blow.  However, when I
>returned the action to the piano and secured the cheek blocks some of the
>hammers failed to go into check on a light blow.   They just hung there in
>about drop position.  This would definitely be felt as a heavy touch.  This
>action rests on its rails; it does not have glides.  To correct this I
>added a little more key dip and that took care of the problem.  I guess
>this is a good example where bench regulation isn't always the most
>accurate method.
>
>Ted Simmons
>Merritt Island, FL
> 
Roger Jolly
Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre
Saskatoon and Regina
Saskatchewan, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505