Square tube action rails for Steinway M

[John Delacour]

At 13:04 -0400 18/3/08, Greg Newell wrote:

>Has anyone ever seen square tube rails on an M? IÕm replacing part because
>of Vertigris but I spotted this square brass rail tube with a square .. um
>dowel inside. ItÕs not soldered to the frame but rather screwed in at the
>ends. I'm thinking I'm gonna replace it but IÕm just wondering if anyone has
>ever seen this before.


It looks like a repair to me, quite neatly done.  What would be the 
point of replacing it?

I thought you were referring to the hammer rail or lever rail, and 
yes, I've seen that too because I did it myself, but not with brass. 
I used a square steel tube and inserted a tight-fitting walnut dowel. 
I then drilled 6mm holes right through and from the underneath 
pressed in special threaded plugs, whose technical name I can't 
remember, which have a collar at the bottom and take an M4 screw. 
The hammers are then screwed on using cap-head stainless steel 
screws.  In my opinion the original Steinway tube is a ridiculous 
design.

JD


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