Don't SAY IT ALL!!!!!

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Dear list,  
       Why is this list, which so many of us look to for technical 
information, piano related problems, solutions, etc.  getting absolutely 
BOGGED down with trivia?  
      PLEASE!  let the piano tech list be a "tech" list.  There are many 
other places that this mindless chit-chat can have a happy home.  If you are 
not posting something to do with pianos, please go elsewhere.  If your post 
doesn't contain something that is useful to the list, you are being 
counter-productive.  If it is socializing that you need, take it to the MPT 
list, that is what it is for.  
     Ah! echos from the sixties, "If you are not part of the solution, you 
are part of the problem". 

  So, to that end, I have just learned some useful information.  
  Many of us have had to deal with pinning problems in the newer Steinway 
pianos.  The problems are usually pins that are tightening up, creating a lot 
of friction.  This seems to be mostly in the hammer pinning, though jacks are 
in there, too.  I was told, on good authority, that the problem stemmed from 
the factory attempting to use larger pins, and treating the cloth with more 
"reducer" or "sizing solution" to arrive at the correct friction. The felt 
was thus made much denser in order to shrink it enough.  This worked until 
there was exposure to humidity,and then the overly compacted cloth began to 
swell, creating the problems. 
   On factory advice, I used the alcohol treatment on a row of tight hammer 
flanges, and the next day, there was a tremendous amount of erratic pinning. 
Many of the pins were loose enough to allow the hammers to visibly move 
(laterally) when resting on a long screwdriver that was wiggled side to side. 
As Roger might say, "the tone was gone".  Jolly well right! 
     The only real fix that I found was to repin, and to pin at the loose end 
of the scale, at that. ( I use the swing test, feeling that the heavier 
hammer can perform well with slightly more friction in the pinning.)
  I am told that the pinning  now is being done with smaller pins, and more 
resilience left in the bushing cloth.  Have others noticed any difference? 
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT