[pianotech] Replicating Baldwin damper flanges...too wide between the ears

[Joe Public]

I have been unable to find damper flanges for a Baldwin model 248 studio
piano circa 1981 and have been forced to be creative. A family of mice lived
there for a while and made a habit of running down the damper flanges,
peeing as they went. Needless to say we have rusty and breaking damper
springs.

 

I'm not crazy about how they made the damper flanges because the part of the
flange that goes in the center of the coil was not engineered strong enough.
Replacing them with new is like hitting a brick wall trying to get parts
through an authorized dealer. The flanges are like a conglomeration of
different standard parts. They have a spring length of a standard upright
damper flange, close to the total length of a standard spinet damper flange
and a groove somewhat like a wire bead rail.the screw hole to bead doesn't
seem to match anything in the catalogs and distance to center pin is longer
too.  I do see a little hope on the horizon though.

 

Even though the distance from center of the screw hole to wood bead of the
action rail is different than standard damper flanges, I was able to modify
a flange in a way that seems to work well. I made a jig for my table saw and
cut just enough off the flange on the inside of the groove to make it fit
down snugly and align properly. The location of the center pin makes the
damper just a shade closer to the strings, but I can compensate by adjusting
the damper timing and the bottom of the damper flange will have reduced
conflict with the big bass string vibration.

 

OK, here is my only issue. The standard flange I modified is too wide
between the ears and the damper lever is able to slide left and right.more
than I would like. I'm afraid the seating of the damper felt might change.
Does anyone know of a way to increase the height of a bird's eye? I was kind
of thinking along the lines of some kind of spacer you can use while
pinning.something that won't mess up friction tolerances or change with use
or time.

 

Does anyone on the list have any experience with this kind of problem or
have a possible solution?

 

Thanks. 

 

Dave Streit, RPT

Portland, OR

 

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