Sorry Jon, didn't finish my post before I sent it. My procedure for easing the back of the jacks is done before the wippens are installed. I take one of those shank separators that come with the Renner flanges. Cut one to about 4 inches. On one side a glue a piece of 320 sandpaper. On the other side a glue a piece of 600 paper. I hold the wippen in my left hand with the flange toward my index finger. With my thumb I depress the balancier by pressing down on the drop screw leather to expose the jack. My ring finger supports the jack on the underside so it doesn't move. Use the sanding stick to then take the edge off with the 320 (a couple of light swipes) and smooth with the 600. Then I touch the edge with dag applied with the hammer felt. When the dag is dry you can burnish by holding the wippen the same way and rubbing it with felt, or you can just install them and swipe over the balancier with the felt pulling toward the wippen flange which will depress the wippen as the felt slides by the jack and burnish the newly rounded edge. David Love ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: August 04, 2002 7:02 AM Subject: Re: Burnishing Graphite I've done a similar procedure on Tokiwa wippens (Renners come beveled) and I think it's a good idea for a better feel during escapement and better return of the jack under the knuckle. I don't think you need to spend that much time burnishing. When I dag bridgetops I burnish with a piece of hammer felt. It doesn't take much to bring out a shine. Similarly, when I have done the jacks, I take a piece of hammer felt cut into a wedge (felt mutes bought from the supply house), press it down on the balancier and just slide it back toward the flange so that it swipes the back of the jack that has just been beveled. I use the felt mutes to apply the dag as well. The tapered end makes a very nice brush when cut a bit narrower. A couple of times over each one goes very fast and seems to be plenty. The edge will continue to burnish in playing as the jack slides on the knuckle so I don't think you need to worry about it that much. I'm not sure how they do it in production. David Love ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jon Page" <jonpage@attbi.com> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: August 04, 2002 6:29 AM Subject: Burnishing Graphite I decided to round the back edge of the jacks on a new set of wips prior to installation. After meticulously detailing the edge with an emery board (rough then fine) I gave them two coats of Dag. Then put a 1/8" drill bit in the Dremel Tool backwards so as to burnish with the shank. What a nice job it did, shined up the rep lever too. It got me to thinking about how the graphite is burnished in production. Anyone know? It might speed things up for next time. I was also thinking that using the backside of the sanding disk would burnish nicely for jacks which have been removed. As far as easing the back edge of the jacks, is there an easier way than to file/sand? Would the sanding disk (metal portion) ease this edge as well or faster than hand working? I plan to experiment with a larger diameter shank next time, something along the lines of the arbor on the buffing wheel after it has been cleaned and polished well. In any case... I'd like to hear some expedient ways to ease the back edge of the jack both installed in the wip and freestanding. Regards, Jon Page, piano technician Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. mailto:jonpage@attbi.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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