Return Springs on a Baldwin 243

[David M. Porritt]

Bill:

Can you strengthen the jack springs?  I really feel that strong, new jack
springs can help both the key and the jack to return faster and more
securely.

dave

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 12/28/00 at 7:48 AM Bill Ballard wrote:

>List,
>
>I have a piano teacher with a legitimate complaint about repetition 
>on a 20 year-old Baldwin Studio Upright 243. The jack won't make it 
>back under the butt until the key returns, and sometimes not even 
>them. The butt and catcher leathers are also a synthetic which i 
>would describe as 220 grit.
>
>My test for repetition is to use a finger of the LH as an up-stop, 
>and to find at what point lowering that stop will prevent to jack's 
>return
>
>The problem clears up when I lift the hammer rail for ~1mm lost 
>motion at the keyboard, but I'm uncomfortable leaving in a lost 
>motion of this size.
>
>I did remove the spring rail and bend all springs to that the butt 
>had a minimum of return from the string (a bend going from 3pm to 
>5pm, as viewed from the bass). The repetition didn't appear to have 
>gained, and now, the action is too slow in very quiet playing. So 
>regardless of what positive effect weakening the hammer springs in 
>relation to the jack spring might have, I'll have to backtrack from 
>this to get a more positive return in quiet playing.
>
>I also changed one hammer butt for a brand new  Baldwin butt with 
>beautiful smooth buckskin, but once again it wasn't clear the the 
>dramatic step down in friction with real butt leather helped out the 
>jack's return. Starting over with a complete set of new butts is an 
>option
>
>Any ideas on improving repetition in this piano?
>
>
>Bill Ballard, RPT
>NH Chapter PTG
>
>"Can you check out this middle C?. It "whangs' - (or twangs?)
>     Thanks so much, Ginger"
>     ...........Service Request
>+++++++++++++++++++++




David M. Porritt
dporritt@swbell.net
Meadows School of the Arts
Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX 75275