action ratios

Ron Overs sec@overspianos.com.au
Sun, 3 Nov 2002 01:36:55 +1100


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At 2:16 PM -0800 1/11/02, David Love wrote:
>Just to clarify my position on this a bit, I haven't yet encountered an
>action where low ratios below 5.5 didn't create regulation compromises that
>I found undesirable, and there it was pushing it.

Agreed!

>   I was surprised to hear David S. comment that he achieved 10 mm 
>dip 44.5 blow
>with an action that measured 5.0.

If I recall his post correctly, I think he was referring to Hamburg 
Steinways being regulatable with their typical 5.0:1 hammer/key 
ratios for their largest piano.

>That has given me some pause but doesn't
>change my own experience.

I have watched a couple of Hamburg techs setting up Ds. Sure they 
carry a "D" key dip block which measures 9.8 mm, but they actually 
set the dip at around 10.5 mm from what I have observed. I have found 
10.25 mm dip to be a practical minimum for such actions with 
hammer/key ratios as low as 5.0:1.

Terry Farrell's recent experiment, where he calculated hammer/key 
ratios using leverage analysis and weight analysis, yielded typical 
results. The higher 'actual' ratio occurs to a greater degree for 
those actions where the lever contacts are further from the lines of 
centres. The greater the lever contact distance from the line of 
centres (particularly with regard to the Jack/roller relationship) 
the greater will be the difference between the actual figures and 
that calculated by lever lengths. One therefore should be careful to 
compare figures between pianos by calculating the hammer/key ratio 
via the same method when drawing conclusions,  ie. don't measure one 
piano via weight calculation and use the results to predict the 
behaviour of another action by measuring it using the leverage 
calculation method.

Some of you may recall that I previously had experienced some 
frustration getting our actions made exactly to specification. Well 
the latest arrival was very accurately made - by Tokiwa. I am 
presently fitting it to a standard factory keyboard from the leading 
manufacturer who will be trialing an Overs action very shortly.  I 
was very surprised to find that the balance pin hole locations were 
drilled 'all over the shop' (some errors exceed 1 mm). This was 
indeed a surprise since the keyboard was manufactured by one of the 
world's most respected key board manufacturers (the one who 
manufactures for the 'top end' makers). Since we drill our capstan 
lines using a mill/drill with a jig which indexes from the balance 
pin holes, the capstan line on this occasion isn't. Consequently this 
Overs test action will require all sorts of variations in the key dip 
to achieve a uniform after touch (which I am less than pleased 
about). Unfortunately, I have to export the action and key board next 
Wednesday so there is no time to rectify the ordinary key board 
workmanship.

Ron O.
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_______________________

OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
Grand Piano Manufacturers

Web: http://overspianos.com.au
mailto:info@overspianos.com.au
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