Damper felt replacement

[Tom Sivak]

Richard
  It is possible that the damper lift spoons are preventing the dampers from having enough pressure on the string to effectively dampen them.  To test this, push on the strings just above the dampers.  When the string moves does the damper follow?  It should.  If it doesn't, then you need to regulate the damper spoons.  If you've never done this before, you will soon be joining the "I Hate Damper Spoons" Club. 
  
Hey, you only learn by doing so this was a great experience for you.  And it sounds like you did a pretty good job, if most of them are working fine.  Congratulations.
   
  Tom Sivak
  Chicago
  
Richard Morgan <rsanbornmorgan at yahoo.com> wrote:
              Last month, I asked advice on replacing damper felts on an upright.  I did the job this week, and want to report my success and ask additional advice.
   
  As per the list's consensus, I used hot hide glue (a mini-slow-cooker was perfect!), practicing my technique on my own piano first!  Things went well, and I'm please with the glue results--both on my piano and the customer's. 
   
  I learned an interesting lesson--my piano has 11 single wound strings and 21 bichords, more than the 10 and 20 in the box from Schaff.  As soon as I realized that I wouldn't have enough, I saved a couple of each damper before installing on my piano, in case the customer's was the same way.  It, however, had 10 singles and 18 bichords, so I was safe (still short one single for my piano, though!). 
   
  On the customer's piano, I was mostly happy with the results of the job.  Each damper, after regulating, effectively stops the string from vibrating, and lifts well away from the string to allow it to sound properly.  However, after damping, there is still a lot of 'ring' in the piano--at least, more than I want--and that is something I was hoping the damper replacement would cure.  Did I not do a good enough job of regulating the dampers (I thought I did--each string/damper worked as I wanted), or is there something else going on? 
   
  I solicit your thoughts on this matter.
  Richard Morgan




  
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