Hi Ric, The directions do look incomplete and inaccurate in places.? I would certainly applaud a good instruction leaflet on these actions.? What would be helpful to many people--and I put myself on this list--is tips on bending the springs (which direction, how much, yadda yadda) and other minutiae that is necessary for this type of action specifically. I only service one, but I find it very interesting to work on, and the tone is beautiful.? Though I haven't done a great job of regulation (yet), it does play nicely.? I was wondering about the 9.4 mm dip and the lack of aftertouch.? Thanks, Dave Stahl -----Original Message----- From: Richard Brekne <ricb at pianostemmer.no> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>; caut at ptg.org Sent: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:30 pm Subject: Bluthner Patent Action In reference to the instructions given on the following website:? http://www.bluthner.co.uk/bluthner/setup.html? ? This set of instructions is found in several places around the web and no doubt has just been copied from one place to the other without anyone actually taking a solid look at what is actually written here. Several key errors are apparent quickly at casual observations. For the first... the opening line that the numbers on the diagram pointing to different parts related to the numbered points of regulation below is faulty. Several points on the diagram have nothing in common with the corresponding points in the regulation instructions. Take number 6 for example. Tell me that the hammer rest rail has something to do with the directions for setting drop !. Points 8 and 9 on the list have nothing to do with the diagram either. Point 5 on the list is about checks and 5 on the diagram points to the hammer shank. Point 4 describing something refered to as "Touch" is so vague its absurd really. It ends up this is actually a reference to key dip in a sense not usually associated with the Erard roller action.? ? Clearly the picture was taken at from action parts illustration somewhere and plasked together with a hokey set of very basic instructs on how to regulate the Bluthner. Seems to me we could do better then this. For example... no where is part number 8 described anywhere... how much tension should be on the spring etc. Nor is the exact function of the leather button on the coiled spring (illust # 10). It should be made clear to folks that the only reason why Checks should be done before setting drop with the rep-spring (illust # 9) is to assure the hammer tail doesn't check the hammer and confuse the regulation of drop. One could just as easily push the check back out of the way, do the drop regulation and then regulate back checks. Seems to me like setting the drop to 3 mm is really the wrong way of putting it. In reality the hammer should drop on a very slow test motion after letoff, fall onto the repspring which is just barely strong enough to carry it (the hammer) upwards with further depression of the key... only a very slight rise mind you. Much like the rise in an aftertouch action. The 3 mm bit comes rather automatically if this is done. Another point on point 4 on the list... touch. Read the sentence and think about it and tell me this makes any sense at all. Is this set of instructions trying to tell the world that the Erard action should see the jack under the roller when the key is barely in contact with the front punching ???.? ? So.... I'm going to start on a re-work of this whole thing. Anyone with insights into the patent action would be very kind indeed to share them with me. There are a fair amount of the Patent Actions out there and IMB they were fast as lightning and quite nice to play on when regulated well. Might be a nice service to the piano tech world to put these set of directions right... and get the confusing presently available ones to rest where they belong.? ? Cheers? RicB? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20080920/260b6679/attachment.html
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