action ratios

David Love davidlovepianos@earthlink.net
Sun, 3 Nov 2002 11:33:50 -0800


David S wrote: referring to measurements of action ratio

Stéphane shows an analysis with mixed types, some touchweight
and some geometry.  One or the other please!


I'm not sure why it should matter if measurements are being taken
accurately.  To my understanding of the working of levers is that the
relationship between distance and force leverages is not idiosyncratic but a
fundamental principal of mechanics.

As RB has stated, the fact that at 5.5 ratio, 10 mm dip gives 55 mm of
hammer travel and that should be plenty when we only need 44.5 doesn't
adequately take into account what happens after let-off button contact by
the jack tender.

Though there may be some efficiency of distance lost by the sliding motion
between friction points (namely capstan-wippen heel) that loss of efficiency
would not seem to improve the ability of the action to regulate with full
specs, rather, it would seem to diminish it.

I am still strongly inclined toward setting up actions with great
consideration given to determining an action ratio that will give proper
regulation specs.  If there is a desire to use hammers whose weights fall
outside of the boundaries that allow for a good match of weight to leverage,
then other solutions, or compromises will have to be considered.  For 99% of
the actions I do, that seems unnecessary.  For that other 1%, assist springs
seem to be the most reasonable solution.

David Love






----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: November 03, 2002 9:40 AM
Subject: Re: action ratios


You see the thing is, that either the ratio is the cause, or its not. Theres
not really any inbetween here. Thats why its kind of important to confirm or
deny whether a certain level of ratio neccessarilly results in inadequate
jack
clearance for given parameters.

So if we take 10mm dip, 44.5 mm blow, 1.5 mm letoff as a standard, and say
alllow for +/- 0.15 mm dip for wiggling room then it should be relatively
easy
to establish just what level of ratio (on the low end) actually does start
causing problems. If you can regulate within these parameters at 5.0 as
David
Stanwood reports, well then you can. And if you run into a piano that has
some
difficulty at this low level then perhaps we should be looking at other
action
relationships to find the source of the problem, instead of just blaming it
on
the ratio itself.

But to be sure... at some point the ratio will be low enough to make the
action
impossible to regulate for the standard parameters given above. And of
course
we will have the opposite situation at the other end of the action ratio
spectrum.

RicB


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.  I hesitate to state a
> general law because there may be other factors of which I am not aware.  I
> was surprised to hear David S. comment that he achieved 10 mm dip 44.5
blow
> with an action that measured 5.0.  That has given me some pause but
doesn't
> change my own experience.  I have found it difficult to get a consistent
> measurement depending on the method used and it is difficult to set up the
> action with only a .01 margin of error, so I  reserve judgment.  For now,
> however, I shoot for 5.75, if it drifts down a little bit in my setting
the
> cap line, for example, I don't lose any sleep over it.
>
> David Love
>

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html


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