Damper lift rod

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Ed,
Second thought
It sounds like perhaps someone in tightening the screws has bent the spoons
to the side raising them into the path of the rod.
If the spoons are all uniformly pressed into the wippen, check the
relationship of the hangers on the rod and bend them so that the rod rests
higher to clear the spoons.
AVOID removal of top of the spoon! Even careful removal of material will
leave rough edges that will cut and rub the felt.
Try moving the spoon to the side more to lower the spoon.
If that loses contact with the  felt, then use thin needle nosed plyers to
move the top of the spoon back into contact with the felt surface. And plan
on re-regulating some, might mark the ones you work on.
Joe Goss
----- Original Message -----
From: Ed Carwithen <edwithen@oregontrail.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2000 12:29 PM
Subject: Damper lift rod


> Good morning Gentlemen:
>
> some advice please!
>
> I Did a Kimball studio type piano a couple of days ago.  It had not been
> tuned for a number of years.. was 30 c flat.  Piano about 20 years old,
and
> in generally fine condition.  Tuned up nicely...BUT when I checked the
> pedals the sustain had a horrible screechy sound.  More than a squeek.
Got
> the action out, and the damper rod is brushing the tops of the damper
> spoons as it operates.
>   I did not attempt to make repairs at that time as the hour was late, and
> the day had been long.  I am to come back and correct soon.
>   I would guess that the piano may have been jarred somewhat when being
> moved around from former house, causing the damper rod to fall.  I can't
> imagine that the spoons have raised.  The rod actually touches some 25-30
> spoons in every section.  You can see them wink when activating the
sustain
> pedal or with the action out by moving the sustain lever.
>   It did not appear that the screws holding in the damper rod guides were
> loose. I should have checked, but did not.  It will be an easy thing to
> check.  I think that shaving a miniscule amount of metal off the top of
the
> damper spoons would correct the problem, unless there is some reason that
> the rod would descend further.
>
>   Any thoughts?????????????????????
>
> Ed Carwithen
> John Day
>
> P.S.  Interesting day!  My first tune for the day was in a small one room
> school; only 15 students.  When I arrived there was no school!!  It had
> burned down at 6 am the morning before!!  The poor teacher, a young guy in
> his mid twenties, was shell shocked.
> Fortunately (at least in my opinion) the piano had been in the gym, and
the
> gym was the only structure left standing.  The piano is fairly new and in
> great condition; a pleasure to work on.  I did the piano, as they are
going
> ahead with their Christmas program, and school will be held in the gym for
> the forseeable future.  Never a dull moment!
>
>
>
>
>