[pianotech] buzzing lid hinge

[Don Mannino]

Darn, I was going to say that.

:-)

Don Mannino
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ryan Sowers 
  To: pianotech at ptg.org 
  Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 9:07 AM
  Subject: Re: [pianotech] buzzing lid hinge


  A while back on the pianoworld tech forum Don Mannino posted the following:


  I thought I would share an old fix, that some people may not have heard of.

  As most technician's have experienced, long hinges in piano lids (grand or upright pianos) very often develop sympathetic vibrations. The resulting buzzes only on certain notes in the piano can really alarm new piano owners, and although just wiggling the lid usually stops it temporarily, people tend to feel it is a serious issue in the piano.

  Today we received back a piano with a supposed incurable buzz in the top board long hinge. The technician had already installed a new hinge, but the new one started buzzing also. He also accidentally chipped the finish when putting the new hinge on (ouch!) so when the new hinge started buzzing, the owner started demanding that the dealer replace the piano. I sort of understand their feelings.

  What is bothering me, though, is that the fix was so simple! I used a syringe to apply linseed oil in the openings in the hinge, where the brass is curled around the pin. After putting a bead of oil on, I worked the hinge back and forth for 15 seconds, then wiped the excess oil off. The buzz was fixed. 5 minutes work!

  There are other techniques as well, such as removing the hinge pin and putting a curve in it. But the linseed oil is really ideal - it is slightly thick when applied, then gets thicker and sticky inside the hinge over a week or so, permanently damping any vibrations of the pin.

  After tuning and regulating the piano, I played it for about 30 minutes to try to get the hinge to work into a vibrating position again, but it never did. In my past use of this trick over many years, I never had the noise return.

  So if you haven't tried this method, give it a go. Works great! If only I could get the factory to do it before they ship out the pianos! I'm going to try again next week . . .
  _________________________
  Don Mannino RPT
  Kawai America 



  On Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 4:58 PM, Mark Dierauf <pianotech at nhpianos.com> wrote:


    I have a new Mason & Hamlin AA where the long lid hinge has quite a bit of play between the pin and the hinge halves. The remedies that I have heard for this problem in the past are to remove the pin and put a gentle bend in it or else to slather it with vasoline or something similar. Can anyone comment on the efficacy of either of these methods or offer alternative suggestions? I don't think that bending the pin will help in this case, as there really is quite a lot of movement between the pin and the hinge, and I don't really like the idea of smearing vasoline around.

    - Mark

    -- 
    My uncle George had discovered that alcohol was a food well in advance of modern medical thought. 

    -- P. G. Wodehouse - The Delayed Exit of Claude and Eustace (1923) 



  -- 
  Ryan Sowers, RPT
  Puget Sound Chapter
  Olympia, WA
  www.pianova.net
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