Quiz

[Michael Jorgensen]

Hi Victor,
     A "pulley key" (hole at the bottom of the key for the balance pin is
wallowed out)?  Or, there is a piece of foreign matter such as hardened glue
just forward of the balance pin punchings which the key hits on hard blows.
-Mike

Victor Belanger wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>
> I solved a piano related noise problem that thought it might be good to be
> used as a quiz.
>
> A bit long.
> It is an Ivers & Pond Grand.
> Board shimmed, restrung, sandblasted action, hammers filed.
> I went to tune the piano today, and found a clicking noise on A5. The kind
> of click that sounds like a loose hammer head.
> -Pulled the action out, checked the hammer, it was fine. Checked the
> screws, loose, tightened them (hammer and Whippen flange). Noise was still
> there.
> -I pulled the hammer off and reglued it. Still clicking.
> -I checked the pinning for hammer flange, rep. lever, whippen flange all
> was fine. The hammer flange had been repinned (not important BTW).
> -I checked for loose jack post but ok.
> -Changed hammer assembly with neighboring one and still making the noise.
> -Checked for foreign object at the v-bar, by the string, nothing there.
> -Lift the damper way up and the clicking has not disappeared.
> -Check to see for some reason if there be anything funky with damper
> underlever, but no.
> -Checked to see if there was anything on the key itself that was loose, eg.
> leads, backchecks, maple piece for the backcheck.
> I was almost giving up umtil I looked at the action from inside the keybed
> (slight hint).
> Another hint if I would play the note quietly, it would not click.
> No other note was making that noise.
>
> Can you guess what it was?
>
> I will give the answer on Sunday. Will give more hints if need be.
>
> Victor Belanger RPT
> Somerville, MA