CAUT

  • 1.  Wooden let-off dowel issues?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-28-2017 14:17
    Greetings all,

    Later this month, I'm travelling to an out-of-province College for several days of service.

    On my last visit, I was attempting to regulate a 2006 Pramberger (Young Chang?), but the internal threaded-studs blocked my wrench from reaching through the capstan-holes, preventing fine-adjustment.

    There is plenty of space between the dowels and mounting-rail, however the (wooden) capstans are so tight on their threads, its too risky with a tool half-engaged.

    I've considered removing the capstans, and grinding the threaded-studs to a sufficient length. I would also prefer to replace the wooden-capstans with new (Yamaha) synthetic-parts, If I knew they were an identical thread.

    However, if any of you have encountered and dealt with this issue successfully, I would really appreciate your suggestions.
    Thanks!

    Mark




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    Mark Cramer, RPT
    Brandon University
    Banff Centre for the Arts

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  • 2.  RE: Wooden let-off dowel issues?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-28-2017 15:00
    Is it possible to drill another hole through the let-off dowel closer to the punching (and, hopefully, far enough away from the threaded stud to allow for full insertion of your capstan wrench)?

    Don't know off hand if this second option will work in the particular situation your are facing, but there is pair of pliers available from supply houses designed to grasp let-off dowels, capstans and whatever else from the OUTside of the thingee being moved. If those will fit between the let-off dowels, that would likely be the least painful way to go.

    Alan

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    Alan Eder, RPT
    Herb Alpert School of Music
    California Institute of the Arts
    Valencia, CA
    661.904.6483
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Wooden let-off dowel issues?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-28-2017 15:32
    Hi, Mark.  If the let-off dowels are screwed in that far, that the stud is down into the adjustment holes, then something is out of whack, right.?  Does the action feel ok?  I have found that when things are adjusted to the max, or out of the middle ranges (like the let-off dowels, the drop screws, the capstans, are all adjusted out of the normal type of middle ranges of adjustment), the action spread is wrong, the boring distance on the hammers is wrong, or the capstans are not i the optimum place, or something geometrically is screwed with.  With that said, the dowel adjustment pliers, as Alan suggested, would be the easiest.  I ground the business end down on mine to make them fit in between the less than optimum spaced let off dowels I have found in some pianos.  Good Luck.    Clark

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    Clark A. Sprague, RPT
    Bowling Green, OH
    www.clarkspianoservice.com
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Wooden let-off dowel issues?

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-29-2017 06:31
    Very frustrating. Instead of a pointed tool, you can turn the buttons with pliers with rounded ends, Pianotek part JBP-1. You may want to grind down the ends and thin them so you can reach between the buttons from the front instead of only from the bottom. 

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    Mario Igrec, RPT
    http://www.pianosinsideout.com
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    Original Message