This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Z!,=20 Sounds like you're tilting at windmills on this one. To your question = re. key forks, yes they are available from the suppliers. However, I = think the Church needs to start a "Piano Fund" and you would do well to = meet with the powers that be and impress on them the need for a better = piano. (Perhaps a letter to the Elders would be more effective. = Sometimes, if it's in writing, it gets their attention better.) Just = some thoughts for a plan of action. Regards, Joe Garrett ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Z! Reinhardt=20 To: Pianotech=20 Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 9:06 AM Subject: Before It Breaks Hi Everyone! =20 The victim: a cruel, crude spinet in a church The problem: those little metal forks at the end of each key =20 This is one of those thankless little spinets that has had a lot of = maintenance work performed in the last few months after years of basic = neglect. (The church isn't ready to get rid of it yet.) At one point = before all this work, all of the keys "worked" in that if you hit them = plenty hard, a note will sound accompanied by a chorus of clattering = loose parts, and it will return to rest position to await the next blow. = What was happening was that all of the action screws were so loose that = everything was allowed to flop where it will. Furthermore, all of the = keys were plenty sloppy with worn bushings and enlarged balance holes. =20 First order of business -- tighten all those flange screws. Do a = rudimentary (very low-budget) regulation to improve the response. But = guess what -- the keys don't line up too well with the sticker wires = with the little square rubber grommets in the middle section of the = piano. They want to lean to the right with enough force to cause = binding at what is left of the bushings on one side. Disconnect the = wire and the key and the corresponding action parts regain their sloppy = characteristics. =20 Found that I could greatly reduce the binding problem by very slightly = tilting the fork with a pair of pliers so the corresponding key is not = so prone to leaning. Some of the little forks offered plenty of = resistance to being tilted. Others felt like they were getting ready to = break. They are just little pieces of stamped metal that appear to have = been inserted on the vertical, then twisted most of the way but not = quite enough to horizontal. =20 In the event that one of those little forks does break ... =20 Are replacement forks available from any of the supply houses? Does anyone have a cute trick for extracting the pieces out of the end = of a key without doing too much damage to the key? Does anyone have any ideas ... oh stupid me, I should have thought of = bending the sticker wires with the damper wire pliers ... unless someone = has a better idea on how to correct this situation very efficiently. =20 (No, I am not looking for ways to efficiently implode this spinet to = make it easier to haul away.) =20 Thanks for your ideas -- Z! Reinhardt RPT Ann Arbor MI diskladame@provide.net ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/35/cc/d2/63/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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