[pianotech] 1st time -SnS brass flange

[Ron Nossaman]

On 4/6/2012 8:57 AM, lim hock seng wrote:
> Hi,
> My 1st encounter with the brass flange on a SnS '40' upright. Its a
> little sluggish on the last 2 octaves. Questions:
> 1. What would be the normal number of swings for these kind of flanges?
> 2. Are repinning steps the same for wooden flanges?
> Thanks!
> Lim


Flanges have nothing to do with swings, bushings do, and the bushings 
are nothing special.

These are Billings flanges, yet another ill conceived aberration in an 
industry that seems to collect them. Lacking the resilience of wood, 
they hold the pin by a clamping action as the screw presses the front 
and back together. Repinning requires prying the fold open slightly to 
release the pin, which also risks breaking the flange at the fold. I 
don't know that anyone even still sells Billings flanges anymore, do 
they? Last I saw was from APSCO, I think, and they were so very poorly 
made as to be unusable.

Ron N