Broken Keys Repair and PREVENTION

[Alan]

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Wow, impressive diagnostics. I'm not sure I'd have spotted the =
"illness."
=20
I wonder, also, who cared enough to take the time (or pay the fee) to
regulate a beastie little spinet. Seems like a tech who could identify a
reason to change the geometry would also know enough to make it ALL =
work.=20
=20
I've seen uprights where the blow was shortened with punchings or felt =
as a
quick "cure" for jack-to-butt problems, or at least I assume that was =
what
they were after.=20
=20
If I were going to mess with center rail height, I think I'd experiement
with adding center rail punchings to a few keys and test-regulating from
there, then use that height to lift the rail uniformly. Would that be =
good
procedure?
=20
Do some come from the factory so poorly designed that they need
reengineering, or was this piano just not up to intended reg specks to =
begin
with; that would be my question.
=20
Alan R. Barnard
In the Spinet Zone in Salem, MO

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On =
Behalf
Of Gps Graham
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 10:11 PM
To: pianotech@ptg.org
Subject: Broken Keys Repair and PREVENTION


Doug asked why keys break at the balance rail. =20
Hard playing on a weak key is only a partial answer.=20
Last month I was called to repair a cheapie spinet with seven=20
broken keys.  The piano had been repaired in the past by someone else=20
with thick CA glue on the sides, and thin CA soaked into the wood,
but the keys simply failed again next to the glue joint.  The=20
keys were cut across the grain, and there was simply not enough=20
strength to do the job, which is problem number one.
=20
The real problem in this case, though, was that a prior tech had=20
shimmed up the balance rail to improve the regulation (more dip,
more aftertouch, less hammer burbling), but went way too far. =20
I found three thick front rail card punchings and a few business=20
cards under the balance rail.  The action was going through=20
escapement, the jack was !

jamming,

 and the key stopped moving before
it ever got near the front rail punchings.  The action had a very=20
strange feel, and the stress on the key was much more than it should
have had to take, even if it was a good quality key (which it wasn't). =20
=20
In addition to repairing the broken and soon-to-break keys with veneer,
I also lowered the balance rail to where it belonged, treating the=20
illness, not just the symptom.  Check your keydip and aftertouch.
=20
Another tip:  I tack glued the keys back together (in my shop)=20
to get them aligned correctly, then sanded the sides near the break
with a random orbit sander to get off the old CA glue, smooth the=20
sides for good glue prep, and thin the key >slightly<.  I glued=20
the veneer splints on each side with Titebond, then used my soldering
iron with hammer pressing tip to iron on the !

veneer.=20

 Very nice results.
I used the sander again to taper off the ends of the veneer, which was
slightly concave from the first sanding.  Fit was great, with just=20
a little sanding by hand on one key in the customer's home.
=20
The "rule of 6" strikes again.  If one key breaks, well... it happens.=20
If 6 or more break, something is causing it. =20
=20
Greg Graham
Graham Piano Service
Brodheadsville, PA



   _____ =20

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