Steinway M Backcheck Problem

[AlliedPianoCraft]

Are you SURE that the key frame is COMPLETELY bedded at the back rail as well as balance rail?

Yes. When I fit the key frame to the bed, I do it as I did in the factory. Key frame and stack with no keys. That way you can check the rear, center and front rails. You can also check the dag block for proper fit.

What do you mean, in your description below, by "floating"?

I raised the front rail high enough that the center rail glide bolts would be knocking. Same thing for the front and back. Added masking tape to the center glide bolts to have the front and rear rails knocking. First one them the other.

Piano picked up this morning, sorry no pics possible.

Al Guecia

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Skolnik 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:01 AM
  Subject: Re: Steinway M Backcheck Problem


  Al -
  Don't despair.  Your thoroughness and dedication will pay off.  You will find the answer, and the light bulb going on over your head had better be an LED.  Here are a few more questions:

  Are you SURE that the key frame is COMPLETELY bedded at the back rail as well as balance rail?
  What do you mean, in your description below, by "floating"?
  Can you get hold of a digital camera and post pictures of the parts?  

  David Skolnik


  At 09:09 AM 3/19/2008, you wrote:

    Truth be said, I have no answer. I made it work, but didn't really solve the problem.
     
    Keep in mind that everything worked perfectly on the bench but not in the piano. Furthermore I set up my bench with upside down front rail glides (as Baldwin does in their grands) to be able to copy the keybed in the piano. No matter how I set it up, (front action rail floating, center action rail floating, rear action rail floating, or right on the money, that hammers checked perfectly in all the situations, but not in the piano. 
     
    How did I make it work? 
      1.. I repined the balancier to almost no friction. 
      2.. I set the spring to where the hammer would barely rise. (of course I had to re-regulate the flys again) 
      3.. I repined the hammer shank flanges to 7 or 8 swings. (learned that from Fred Drasche at Steinway) 
      4.. I took some of the radius off the hammer tails. 
    With all that I could not get hammers 1 and 2 (A0 & A#0) to check and on the softest blow some other would not check, but all in all quite satisfactory.
     
    I feel I use a band-aid to correct the problem. Never being able to know the real problem. The customer will be happy, but I have what I believe to be an unsolved problem
     
    I want to thank everyone for their help and input.
     
    Al Guecia

    Allied PianoCraft
    PO Box 1549
    High Point, NC 27261
    (336) 454-2000
    PianoTech at alliedpianocraftcom
    www.alliedpianocraft.com
     
     
     
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: "David Skolnik" < davidskolnik at optonline.net>
    To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
    Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 10:47 AM
    Subject: Re: Steinway M Backcheck Problem

    > At 08:06 AM 3/15/2008,  Al Guecia wrote:
    >>OK.......... back to the piano on Monday and check all of this out.
    > 
    > 
    > OK Al - It's Tuesday.  What's the answer?
    > 
    > David Skolnik
    > 
    > 
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