Tokai piano

[Newton Hunt]

> Why do the pins get tight?    I've hear Oriental 
> pianos "do that", but not heard "why". 

Pins get tight because sometimes they were pinned a little too tight in
the factory, some loose their plating, some have felt contaminated with
grit or sand and sometimes just for the hell of it.  Ours is not to
reason why but to repin and pray.

> and I get the idea that they should be weakened so

Yes, well, but ...

That is kind like saying, "Let-off has to be lowered ..."  Wippen
springs need to be adjusted, just like any other aspect of an action but
unfortunately they were rarely set up properly in the factory so the
consequence of changing their tension is that they leading in the keys
may need changing as well.

In your situation, Les, handle the basics first, cleanliness, lubricity
(including the pins) and then repin as needed but do the whole rail if
there are too many too tight even after being lubricated.  Changing the
action specifications is, and should be, outside the range of this type
of job.  She wants it to work, but not necessarily like a Porsche.

Gee, _I_ understood what I was saying, unfortunately my fingers are so
dumb ...

		Newton