Tight Bushings/Roger's Fault

[David Love]

The problem with shrinking the bushings by using heat alone is that, though 
the heat will drive moisture from the bushing and shrink it temporarily, 
once the felt reabsorbs moisture from the air it will swell again and the 
flange will be back where you started.

David Love


>From: "Dave Nereson" <dnereson@dimensional.com>
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Subject: Re: Tight Bushings/Roger's Fault
>Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2001 03:24:53 -0600
>
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Farrell
>   To: pianotech@ptg.org
>   Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2001 7:16 PM
>   Subject: Tight Bushings/Roger's Fault
>
>
>   I figured that would get your attention! Actually this is a big thank 
>you to
>   Roger Jolly for telling me about soaking action center bushings with
>   water/alcohol solution to free tight action centers (I realize he did 
>not
>   invent this method, but he was the one that pushed me over the edge and
>   convinced me to try it).
>
>   I went to a new customer last week with a KimBalderetever (Kimball, 
>Baldwin,
>   Everett, whatever!) console. Press down the keys, half the hammers stay 
>at
>   the letoff position (everything on this puppy was slow - butt and wippen
>   flanges, jacks, dampers). She had told me they were sticky, but I 
>figured I
>   would Protek them. When I saw just HOW SLOW they were I feared that 
>Protek
>   may not work. So I took the action back to my shop and doused every 
>action
>   center about six times (six wet/dry cycles) and let them dry, while 
>working
>   the action occasionally.
>
>   When all was done and dry, everything was working very nice and easy - 
>not
>   too loose, and not too tight, just right! AMAZING. The lady called me a
>   piano hero (whatever the heck that might be - sounded OK though)! I knew
>   better, but hey, I said "thanks!"
>
>   Thanks Roger.
>
>   Terry Farrell
>
>
>   Once I was reconditioning an old upright with the same problem.  I took 
>the action out, put it outside in the hot summer sun while I went back in 
>and did the cleaning, tightening, string seating, etc., then  went to lunch 
>(checking the sky first for rain clouds).   Came back, and the action had 
>loosened up enough to be regulateable and playable.  That worked on a 
>couple other actions, too.  In the winter, I've put sluggish actions right 
>in front of a heat register overnight, and in the morning they have freed 
>up.  This may work only in fairly dry climates (?).  If the centers seize 
>up again during humid weather though,  I'll use the other bushing- 
>shrinking methods.   --Dave Nereson, RPT, Denver
>
>

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