Converting a Brass Rail Piano (private)

[Joseph Garrett]

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Tom,
Dittos back atcha.<G> I didn't say the parts would fit all that good! My reaction is the use of a Table Saw. A bit over-kill IMHO, when a hand plane would suffice. Another thing that is needed, is a "jig" that will allow you to mount the action, as if it were in the piano. This is the key to doing this job correctly, when the piano is not in the shop. The trick is to establish the distance from the hammer butt flange center pin to the string plane. AND, establishing the correct strike point for the hammers. Think about it....once the brass rail(s) are removed and the wooden rail is "modified", you have no reference point(s)!!! As in: Yikes! DAMHIK!!!<G> Those two factors are extremely important and are not emphasized sufficiently in the Spurlock articles, IMO.
Regards,

Joe Garrett, R.P.T. (Oregon)
Captain, Tool Police
Squares R I

P.S.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE POSTS THAT I WAS REFERRING TO! Please, either send it privately or post it to the "list"! NOT BOTH! (thankqueverymuch!!!)<G>

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Thomas Cole 
To: joegarrett@earthlink.net
Sent: 12/28/05 12:47:15 PM 
Subject: Re: Converting a Brass Rail Piano (private)


Joseph Garrett wrote:


A Table Saw!!!!!????? YIKES! Not necessary, at all, IMO! Most conversions are done, using Euro/Asian style Butts & Flanges, where a piece of wire holds them in place. As for the dampers?.....It don't matter how they are held or by what. The European Damper Flanges are smaller than the U.S. type and can be adapted quite easily to the rail. HOWEVER....if all the tabs on the rail are intact, why go to all of that fuss? Simply Anneal the original rails and install new brass plates and be done with it! Sheesh! (I've done it many ways, so don't tell me I know not of what I speak, as each way has it's foibles. <G>)

Joe,

I don't understand your reaction. If you read the rest of my post (the words after "table saw") and look up the article I referred to (which I wrote), you might see that we're basically on the same page. 

I wasn't aware that parts would fit perfectly by just drilling some holes but I'll keep that in mind next time.

Tom Cole

Barbara Richmond wrote:

Hi all,

I have a customer with a Straube upright piano that has a truly wonderful sound.  I was so surprised the first time I heard it, because there aren't many uprights that have survived a lifetime in the Midwest and still have any life in them.  Here's the exception.  The only problem is it has a brass rail.  Is it possible to convert one of these to a wooden flange system?  
Yes, it's possible with a table saw to re-machine the hammer rail to accept standard wooden flanges. You would need to replace all the hammer butts (and shanks and heads while you're at it). Also your work would need to be very accurate not to introduce some regulation headaches.

Oops, I forgot to look at how the dampers are held in place.  :-l
It would be good to know if it's a horizontal brass rail with fingers for dampers as well.


Experiences, comments?
If all the brass rail fingers are in good shape, I would stay with that and replace all the butt plates. There's a writeup in the archives about that (Sun, 21 Mar 1999 23:07:05 -0700, "Brass Rail Repairs"). 


Thanks,

Barbara Richmond, RPT
You're welcome.
Tom Cole
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