Wippen/Hammer Shank Click

[Farrell]

Hi List folks. I am desperately trying to get a 1920s (or so - no serial
number) Knabe (Aeolian?) out of my shop. I am regulating the action (last
step). The wippens are the type that have a little L-shaped metal rod that
protrudes up from the wippen base up and over the repetition lever, just aft
of the forward end of the repetition lever. The metal piece would prevent
excessive movement (downward movement of the knuckle) of the repetition
lever.

What the heck does that thing do? Why is it there? Except of course to click
on the hammer shank when the hammer returns to rest! At rest, the bottom of
the shank is maybe 1/8" above the top of the metal piece, just close enough
that, from the middle of the keyboard down to the bass, you get a loud click
upon releasing the key as the hammer shank hits the metal part on the
wippen. Why are they so close? I'm trying to figure out if it is something I
have done - I can't imagine what though. I can imagine the wippen rail being
a tad to high maybe, or the hammers being improperly bored (they are cheap
replacements). Any great ideas?

I have blow distance set at a short 1-3/4" (I would certainly prefer to not
make it any shorter - this dead-as-a-doornail piano needs all the hammer
power it can get!), and everything regulates out real nice so that I end up
with 3/8" dip with 0.025" aftertouch. I am solving the problem for now by
raising the hammer rest rail just enough so that the shanks don't click
against the metal piece, but that makes the hammers rest right on the rest
rail - but it seems better than the clicking. Any ideas would be
appreciated.

Terry Farrell