S&S alignment

[David ilvedson]

>From the information given:  capstans mis-aligned to 
right/treble side of wippens, wippens mis-aligned to right/treble 
side of knuckles and hammers mis-aligned to the left/bass of 
strings, moving the stack will solve a couple of things...align 
wippens to capstans, i.e. capstans stay where they are and 
wippens move towards the treble and over capstans into better 
alignment.  Also moves the hammers towards the treble and 
into better alignment with strings.  Hopefully a small 
movement of the stack will still allow some alignment of the 
hammers more to the right and under the strings and thus into 
better alignment with the repetition lever.  Granted this is 
highly unusual an moot if there is no space between the 
brackets and the keys.  

David Ilvedson, RPT
> 
> Moving the stack is not going to solve your problem, only make it worse.
> Either the strings must be moved, or the action must be repositioned under
> the strings.  Check the dimples in the damper lift felts on the back of the
> keys for more clues as to position of the damper action and/or alignment.
> 
> Frank Weston
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ken Jankura <kenrpt@mail.cvn.net>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: Saturday, August 28, 1999 5:01 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
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 


David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net