S&S alignment

[Brian Trout]

Hi Ken,

That is a tough one.

If I have this pictured right in my mind, it sounds like  the hammer flange
rail has the holes drilled in it too far towards the bass.  It sounds like
it doesn't line up with the wippen flange rail, or anything else, for that
matter.  (Whether it was installed wrong, cut wrong, drilled wrong,
whatever, that sucker is in there now.  The way these suckers are put
together, it seems like it would be 'major surgery' to move it, even just a
little, although, I'm sure it could be done.

 I've never seen one that far off before.  Something that comes to mind...
is it far enough off that you could have any success trying to move all of
the hammer flanges up one hole having to perhaps drill another hole in the
treble end of each section? (Not having one in front of me, I can't picture
if there would be room?) Or would that go too far the other way?  If you
aligned the wippens back down toward the bass to be more centered over the
capstans, perhaps moving the hammer flanges to the next hole would actually
be closer to right than where they are now.?  If that wouldn't work, could
the rail be redrilled?

Even if you shift the whole action left or right, it doesn't sound like the
alignments would be much better.

Sorry I'm not much help.  It's definitely a head scratcher!   (But you're a
resourceful guy.  You'll get it.  :-) )

I'll be looking for the responses myself.

Good luck, Ken.

Brian Trout
Quarryville, PA
btrout@desupernet.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Jankura <kenrpt@mail.cvn.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Saturday, August 28, 1999 5:08 PM
Subject: S&S alignment


>I have encountered an unusual problem with a 1952 S&S 'M'. Simple
>regulation, right, but the alignment of hammer to wippen to capstan seems
>to be farther off as you go. The hammers were almost all striking too far
>to the left (you know, where you have to use the shift pedal to tune
>unisons). On my workbench I have simulated shimming out the frame stop
>block to correct this and by shifting it almost 1/8 inch (!) and spacing
>hammers as far as I can to the treble, they line up ok with my string mark
>gauge. The wippens are farther still to the right (you know, where the
>knuckle rests on one half of the rep lever only) and the capstans are
>already off center to the right, so correcting the wip spacing will make
>the capstan placement worse (you can look straight down on the action and
>see the edge of each capstan between the wips.  I'm not sure til I get back
>to the piano whether or not I am in trouble with the damper/key end felt
>interface by having shifted the action frame over. I am reluctant to
>relocate the action stack, though this seems to be what they should have
>done in the factory 40 years ago. I may be missing something here, but I am
>getting increasingly more frustrated as I try to get this piano lined up
>right. Has anyone run into this kind of situation before on a Steinway. Any
>words of advice, if not encouragement? (I should note the piano has all
>original parts, etc.)
>Ken Jankura RPT (Real Phrustrated Technician)
>Newburg, PA
>
>
>