James,
You say you don't want to "blow out your arm" by needling. I suggest you learn a different technique of hammer needling. Needle with the action on the bench, hammers well supported. Stand up, so that you can press the needles into the felt, using your body weight, with your forearm at an angle that approaches vertical.
Make your first insertion begin just above the widest part of the shoulder, and angle it so that it is parallel to the lower shoulder, so that you are opening up about a 2 mm wide strip of felt. Follow with 3 - 4 insertions parallel to the first one, each one opening a new strip of felt. At that point, begin to change your angle of insertion, to vertical and then to angle away from the crown and toward the shoulder, so that you are leaving a triangle of felt above the point of the molding untouched.
This is ergonomically MUCH better than the typical insertions with the keyboard in your lap, forearm more or less horizontal, and pressing in toward the interior felt from the very first insertion.
Here is a
video of that technique on an upright piano hammer with fairly heard felt. And a photo showing how a length of stiff angle iron can be used to support the hammers above the back checks.
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Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.eduhttp://fredsturm.nethttp://www.artoftuning.com"We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Casteneda
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-18-2018 22:18
From: James Kelly
Subject: Baldwin Artist Grand -
Customer has one of the last US made Baldwin Artist Grands (an M) with accu just hitch pins. I proposed doing some action regulation since shanks are sitting on the rebound rail and rep springs are on the weak side, backcheck tails check low. Also has several hammers that hang up . I recall lubricating all of the jacks about 2 years ago which seemed to solve problem then. I'm wondering if perhaps the bushing work was not so good toward the end or if I need to remove the wippen and do some gram gauge checks on the jack, rep lever, hammer flanges and test for jack cheating. Unable to lube the jack today since my needle oiler was leaking at the needle base.
Hammers need to have the cuts taken out and crown reshaped to get a better strike point. and eliminate flat top. Customer thinks the sound is to bright or pingy and when squeezing the felt it feels rock hard. Will light shaping be enough or would some chopstick voicing help. I do not want to get into aggressive measures with these hammers however I recall a Baldwin Hamilton owned by a teacher that had beaten the snot out of the hammers yet no matter what I did I could not improve it. A tech friend had suggested aggressive needling but I am not about to blow out my arm The teacher really needed hammer felt replacement because of the mileage on the hammers but was unwilling to spend what it required.This grand has plenty of felt left but looks like the hammers have never been touched after leaving the factory . Looking for suggestions/ tips/ and tricks that could make a difference.
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James Kelly
Pawleys Island SC
843-325-4357
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