Hammer re-facing and blow distance

[Farrell]

Annie wrote:
> As part of my Maintain It! campaign, I offer my customers a package deal 
> on
> refacing and basic regulation.  I shape the hammers and set the blow
> distance, lost motion, let off, and checking.  That 3-4 hour job (on an
> upright) can make a world of difference in the piano.

You're probably correct that the steps above will improve the long-neglected 
piano, but I have to admit that I have a hard time getting around doing 
those procedures without leveling key and setting dip (and as is so often 
needed, replacing felt under the keys - oh, and how 'bout them key 
bushings....).

I guess I find that I try to sell either a complete "action reconditioning" 
(full regulation, including keys) or just let the thing wallow in disrepair. 
Maybe I need to adjust my attitude?

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
> David, are these pianos on which you've been working through the years?
> Have they had at least some basic maintenance all along?  I find that can
> make a huge difference in what else the need when the hammers are refaced.
>
> As part of my Maintain It! campaign, I offer my customers a package deal 
> on
> refacing and basic regulation.  I shape the hammers and set the blow
> distance, lost motion, let off, and checking.  That 3-4 hour job (on an
> upright) can make a world of difference in the piano.
>
> My package price is pretty low for what they're getting, but it's about as
> high as the market will bear here (and I'm still making more than my 
> normal
> hourly charge for the time required).  Other "stuff" that needs fixing is
> extra.
>
> Of course, I'm just coming into a new area, where the services of a
> technician have been lacking for a while.  (It's a great opportunity to 
> talk
> with customers about the difference between a "tuner" and a
> "technician"....)  So nearly every piano I've worked on has needed 
> technical
> work, as well as tuning.
>
> Customers are happy with the improved sound and playability, their pianos
> are back to a state approximating correct operation, my work will be more
> pleasant next time I tune that piano, and I've added to my coffers.  And
> since I love doing that kind of fiddley work, it's fun, as well.
>
> Annie Grieshop
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: David Boyce [mailto:David at piano.plus.com]
>> Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 8:02 AM
>> To: Pianotech List
>> Subject: Hammer re-facing and blow distance
>>
>>
>> Yesterday I did a hammer re-facing on a client's 1929 Challen upright.
>>
>> Hammer re-facing is a job I enjoy doing.  I take care to keep a proper
>> shape, and it never seems all that difficult to me, yet I have seen some
>> horrible jobs. Recently I saw a piano where the hammers were all
>> lop-sided
>> because someone had done a very crude re-facing by filing (with I
>> know not
>> what implement, the hammer felt looked all roughed-up) from the top side
>> only, towards and over the striking face. The hammer bottoms had not been
>> touched.
>>
>> I was musing about the conventional wisdom which says that after
>> re-facing,
>> the blow distance should be adjusted by packing felt behind the
>> hammer rest
>> rail, and the action re-regulated.  In practice I have seldom done this
>> after re-facing.  There is the practical consideration of what
>> the customer
>> would be willing to pay, balanced with the very substantial
>> improvement to
>> an old piano that can be made just by re-facing.
>>
>> What I was thinking, is this: If you re-face carefully, you don't
>> increase
>> the blow distance beyond what it already is, because you only file the
>> hammers to the level of the bottom of the exisiting grooves. The existing
>> blow distance is from the bottom of the grooves to the strings.  If the
>> action is reasonably good at that distance, and it's not a
>> top-grade piano
>> or a customer with lots of money, is it necessary to mess with
>> packing the
>> rest rail etc?  A fairly quick hammer re-facing, along with
>> tightening all
>> flange screws and taking up lost morion, can make a huge
>> difference to the
>> sound and feel of a semi-decent old upright, at reasonable cost.
>>
>> And in any case, adjusting the blow distance to what it originally might
>> have been, does not restore the piano to what it was, as it now
>> has smaller
>> hammers and an altered action geometry.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> David.
>>
>>
>