This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Hello List I was asked to tune a piano in an old church (part Saxon, part Regency = and part Victorian) in Lewes Sussex. This was Wednesday 9 March. When I = looked at this very venerable Bechstein grand (No.2824 - figured walnut = case) I found MOTH had got there first. The reason for tuning was for a = piano concerto being performed there on Saturday. New composer at the = piano. Dilemma! Dare I take the action out, back to my workshop, knowing = the tremendous liability? Answer Yes! But Thursday I had tunings and = repairs ready for piano exams at a school and an old square piano to = tune. Old.. as in 1775 built by Pohlman. Pitch A=3D393. But that was = young compared to the house it was in.... 1530. Now that's OLD. Today I = was committed to tuning seven school pianos. I last tuned them two years = ago... YUK. So where does the tool fit in? Bechstein action on bench. = Dismantle hammer rail complete with hammers. Disconnect all those little = stickers Bechstein used to use between the keys and the levers. Many of = the felt bushes .. GONE! (this job is getting bigger by the moment... = bigger liability..) Find the hammer rest pads on the levers are eaten. = Even centre bushings.. eaten. That regulating button for the jack-top = window ... eaten. Then a moth grub poked its head out and winked at me. = I squashed it. They're hard, you know, quite difficult to squash. Remove = the lever rail with all the levers attached and the little sticker = dangling from them. Remove keys and get the vacuum going. Where were the = balance rail washers? Eaten. Where were the front rail thick washers... = eaten. The back rail touch felt was but a shadow of its former = self...Eaten. Been there? So have I. But the action must be back and = working by 3:00pm tomorrow for rehearsal. Removing the remains of the = touch felt showed the need for something sharp and heavy. So I got a 1 = 1/2" cold chisel. Heavy thing. Sharpened it up very nicely on the belt = sander and that old felt and glue came off very quickly indeed. Replace = all felts and find key-touch not deep enough. Dismantle action and try = again. Then regulate. I have a little (as in 3" long) flat ratchet screw = driver for touch regulating in these old Bechsteins. Now the action is = finished. Regulated on the bench from section string heights taken on = site and using my home made bridge. But... what's that I see... poking = its little brown head out of a hammer? Quick! Squash another one.. I = really do fear for my stock of felt.... 'Night all Michael G.(UK) ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/f1/0d/89/d2/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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