sluggish hammers on spinet

[Dave Hall]

Actually it wouldn't be painting myself in a corner.  The DamppChaser was
just a suggestion since it seems fairly obvious that it is one possibility
and hadn't been mentioned by all the experts up to that point.  I avoid the
unhappy customer problem by first diagnosing what is causing the sticking
(usually not to difficult to figure out after 40 years of doing this sort of
thing, including almost 25 of them servicing for Wurlitzer dealers), then
listing the possible cures and their probability of success in ascending
order of repair cost and after a thorough discussion with the customer we
decide on a mutually agreeable course of action, usually starting with the
least expensive procedure that is the most likely to succeed.

I didn't think it was necessary to explain all of the above because I just
assumed that all responsible technicians followed a somewhat similar plan
and therefore did not require such a detailed descriptions of how to solve a
fairly common problem.

Dave

At 06:51 AM 06/23/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>Well..........  You could be painting yourself into a corner.  Suppose the
>Dampp-Chaser doesn't do the job.  Then the client will be unhappy unless
you take
>it out and refund the money, which of course will make *you* unhappy.  A
key bit
>of information you need first is this -- does the problem correct itself every
>time the humidity decreases?  If so, a Dampp-Chaser is more likely to work.  If
>not, some other remedy is called for.
>
>Clyde
>
>Dave Hall wrote:
>
>> Try a DamppChaser.
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> At 03:37 PM 06/22/2000 EDT, you wrote:
>> >I've never before encountered a spinet (in this case a 1963 W****T***) with
>> >all hammers so sluggish that moving them toward the strings by hand results
>> >in many floating back to rest & many at the extreme ends just staying at the
>> >string.  Protek on hammer flanges showed little or no result; key bushings
>> >are not binding; strengthening return springs also had little effect.  Piano
>> >was not played or tuned for about 10 years. Any suggestions - aside from
>> >replacing it with a decent piano? (owner says it really has a beautiful
tone,
>> >of course).
>> >
>> >Is it just a combination of factors: poorly weighted keys, weak springs,
>> >nonuse, etc.?
>
>
>
>