Mason bearing quandry was Lowell Component Downbearing Gauge

[Erwinspiano at aol.com]

Hi Jim
  Your interest here . Is it based on setting up new  boards,finding the 
soundboard deflection sweet spot etc?
  If so e-mail privately.
  On another note concerning the wooden gauges. I recently  had a 1966 BB 
Mason & Hamilin come in for an overhaul.  The piano  sounded awesome even in it's 
ragged condition with funky parts &  Original everything. WHen I hear these 
things I ask why does it  sound this way.
   I crawled underneath to check residual crown with  a crown string & the 
board was about flat....evey where.  The board was  .400 thick...very thick. I 
used the wooden gauges to check bearing & it was  gi--normous. Never seen 
anything like it. I thought there is no way this piano  can have 3 plus degrees of 
bearing everywhere & still have sustain and power  like this & with out 
disintegrating under the load.  Who hoo let's hear  for centripetal resonators ( 
spiders). As is always the case, when the  strings com off the whole story is 
seen.  The belly came up a mile as  checked with a crown string. over 3/8 this 
inch. in the biggest part of the  belly & 3 or more mm in the trebles. These are 
the situations that cause my  state that many thing work even thought they 
shoudn't.  The dilema is shall  I change the bearing?
  With no compression ridges or cracks & only exposed  to the beautiful CA 
climate for 40 yrs & with a church building around it to  buffer any humidity 
effects, this pianos belly is pristine. 
  SO what would you all do? Hmm  Leave it set up this  way or change it. The 
plate sits on bolts as it's  supports so  plate height is easy to change.
  Please weigh in & I'll tell you what I  think.
  Dale
 
Dale,

Rereading your post, I realized you are looking for  specifics on the 
secondary 
parts needed to use this angle gauge in the  piano.

I hesitated before posting the Wixey idea because I haven't had  the time the 
work
out the jig(s), but figured the idea was worth floating in  its present 
uncooked state< hence
no visuals. 

Feet should not be  any more complicated than the Lowell feet, but I will 
post what I
come up  with when I have time to fuss with the idea.

The other thing is that the  unit is sensitive to movement, ie movement of 
the strings,
and registers that  movement. But I don't think that should be an issue, 
because 
the bubble  gauges also are affected by movement/deflection. There probably 
will be 
a  learning curve on taking readings, especially on the speaking side.

So  anyway, this is an official not quite baked idea...but I don't think its  
half-bake, so-to-say.

I'd be interested in followups of anyone foolong  around with the idea.

Jim I 







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