Associates only puzzler

[Joe And Penny Goss]

Hi Tom,
You underestimate the level of some of the associates on this list. <G>
Joe Goss
imatunr@srvinet.com
www.mothergoosetools.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <Tvak@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 6:59 AM
Subject: Associates only puzzler


> Associate members of the list,
>
> What separates us from the RPTs?  (Besides passing the tests.)
>
> Certainly, experience would be one of the top items on the list.  (Yes,
the
> list is longer than that...)  Knowing what to look for, having been there
> before.  This past week, I added one thing to my list of things to look
for.
> Next time...
>
> No RPT would have the following problem because he would never have made
the
> same careless mistake I did.  Therefore, I pose this puzzler to the
> associates of the list, because it would just be too easy for the RPTs to
> solve!
>
> I recently removed the lost motion from an Everett spinet.  It had an
> 'acrosonic' type action where the stickers/lifters go above the end of the
> keys into a flange rail where the key capstan strikes them.  I had to
remove
> the key cover, of course, and then found that it was still difficult to
reach
> the capstans under the flange rail. So, I removed the key upstop rail and
> removed each key by hand, and twisted the capstan.  When I finished I was
> happy with the results.  I left just a bit of lost motion to each key,
hoping
> to compensate for increased humidity in the summer, and all the hammers
moved
> along with the hammer rest rail when I pulled back on it.  I put the
upstop
> rail and key cover back on and left with my check.
>
> Another job (apparently) well done.
>
> One week later I got a call from that client: some of her keys didn't play
> all the time.  Especially if they were played twice, the second time, no
> sound.
>
> Oh-oh...
>
> I opened the top of the piano and I could see that 5 or 6 hammers in
octaves
> 3 and 4 were no longer resting on the hammer rest rail, but were about
1/2"
> in front of it!  I KNOW I did not leave it in this condition!  Obviously
the
> jacks were holding the hammers forward, and that was what was causing
these
> notes to play sporadically: the jack was unable to get back under the
hammer
> butt.
>
> But how and why did this happen?  In just one week?  Actually, the client
> said this started to happen the very day I worked on the piano.  Humidity
was
> 28% on both visits, so it wasn't a change in humidity.  The piano had not
> been moved, no water had been poured into the piano, the environment did
NOT
> change in any way.  The client did NOT open the piano and fool around with
it
> in an effort to fix it himself.
>
> As I took the piano apart again to readjust the capstan height the source
of
> the problem became obvious, but since it was something I should have
noticed
> in the first place, and because no RPT would ever be so stupid as to find
> himself in this position, (having to return to fix a problem he should
have
> been aware of on the first visit...)
>
> I pose this as an "associate only" puzzler.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Tom S
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives