Puzzler #172/final

[Ken Jankura]

List,
I could not get the action out by just slipping a piece of cardboard in
between the pinblock and the action, as it hit the lower part of the hammer
and served no purpose. I thought if I put a bend in the board about 2 inches
in, once the board cleared the pinblock, it would naturally bend a little
bit 'upward' (thinking as if the piano were in a normal position) and allow
the hammers to slip 'under' the cardboard, which would guide the hammers
out. That didn't work.  Even with the bend, the cardboard still hit the
hammers at about halfway (9:00 or 3:00) and did not serve as a guide at all.
Just before giving up, I slipped the cardboard in with the bend facing to
the right (piano on its side) and the bend in the cardboard had enough oomph
to it to just force the hammer shanks  back to rest position. Voila. If I
had to do it again, with just a little more access, one could force the
cardboard 'down' with a chopstick voicing tool (or two) through the strings
and make it work. I know this explanation leaves a little bit to be desired,
but I hope it can help anyone who finds themselves in this frustrating
position sometime.

Ken Jankura RPT
Newburg, PA

"Ma'am, if this piano were an automobile, out of fear for their life, you
would never, ever let someone you loved drive it."




> > List,
> >A couple weeks ago I needed to get an action out of a grand. The piano
was
> >up on its side with a grand piano on either side of it (I could not move
the
> >piano out from in between), maybe 3" clearance, just enough room to get
my
> >hand and an inspection mirror between to ascertain that all the hammers
were
> >resting against the strings. I could kind of poke a thin blade in and
move a
> >hammer down to rest position only to watch it (via mirror) rise again to
> >come to rest against the strings. How did I get the action out, with no
> >broken hammer shanks?
> >Ken Jankura RPT
> >Newburg, PA
> >
>
>
>