Discussion Posts

On Amazon they call them square recess drivers. Lots of offerings, nice Klein set. Jon, what size do you use for actions? ------------------------------ Steven Rosenthal Honolulu HI 808-521-7129 ------------------------------

A square drive tip is imperative to have. I purchased a 6" shaft w/ hex drive for a drill. I cut off the hex portion and angled the end to fit my combo handle. I ground the tip to produce a 'ball-end' to accommodate angular drive. Square drive beats Phillips ...

Here is a better scan of the dimensions page. ------------------------------ Floyd Gadd Regina SK 306-502-9103 ------------------------------

Here's a set I haven't got installed yet.  Would anybody like to corroborate my measurements?  This is one of the two types of sets.  Maybe somebody can post dimensions for the other. Bracket thickness is 11.4 mm along the perimeter.  I can just force ...

I use a tapered drill set to drill any new holes needed for the new brackets. I believe the back feet on the new brackets are on the rear and are also higher so it requires longer screws. I have had to chisel out some of the key frame to position the ...

I drew a picture of what might be made. Square drive pocket hole or pan head screws can be used. I replace action bracket hold-don screws with square drive. So much easier, I wish all action screws were sq. dr. ------------------------------ Regards, ...

I think what I have done is set the jack so it doesn't jam the stop felt when the action is at maximum dip and the knuckle doesn't hit the jack as it comes into check. Say ,420 dip. The jack should sit nicely in the window between the knuckle and the ...

There are so many variables in ordering from Ronsen. You pick the weight of the cut and therefore the density.  The 16lb cut will start with a 12 1/2 gr hammer depending on which molding you choose. If you custom prep the hammers, Ronsen is the choice. ...

I don't work on this style action much and can never remember where to align the jack when there is no standard knuckle. Thanks ------------------------------ Rex Roseman Akron OH 330-289-2948 ------------------------------

Since brackets are scarce, duplicating the two good ones is the option to have some on hand when the pickin's are slim. I'd buy a set to have on hand. I wonder if pocket hole screw-downs is viable. Or just a wedge cut out of the front and back edges ...

Jon, Wouldn't that require that you would actually have good brackets from which to make copies? Then you would already have a good set to install, hence no need to find one. That's kind of a moot point. -- Dave Conte, RPT, CCT Dave Conte ...

Wooden replacements can be used until the factory ones arrive.  I would treat the exposed ply's with epoxy or CA to reinforce and then coat all surfaces with shellac. A handy upgrade might be to install a capstan on the bracket in front of the repetition ...

Thank you Karl. I do understand that this piano was manufactured before Yamaha was using Wurzen felt for their CF series.  When I refer above to the hammers Yamaha was supplying "at that time", I was referring to the time of the comments in 2002 from ...

Replace the end brackets first with the center brackets still screwed down. This will keep the rails' location. Then replace the center brackets with the end ones fastened down.  I'd pay two to three times the manufacturers price for wooden ones to not ...

10 mm thick aluminium, band saw, drill press and a lot of lubrications during Machining. Alexander Brusilovsky

I still have the instructions from long ago. I did check the action spread. Good advice, thanks. Sometimes you eat an occasional job, and this was one of them. Paul James Kelly Sounds like the job ate your lunch and dinner... Every bracket ...

Sounds like the job ate your lunch and dinner... Every bracket replacement job seems to be different. Measuring the action spread is very important and there was some detailed directions on how to do this entire procedure when it was a warranty repair. ...

I just wanted to say, I replaced a set recently, and it became a big nightmare because the new brackets were a very tight fit on the frame. Consequently, after shoehorning the stack on the frame and screwing it down, I noticed the hammer rail had a slight ...

There are two distinct sets/types  of brackets so you need to match the brackets to what is in the piano with the expanding bracket issue. You also may have to drill holes in different locations on the action frame and do a little chisel work to set the ...

Philip and or Roger, I have a 4 bracket set. ------------------------------ Steven Rosenthal Honolulu HI 808-521-7129 ------------------------------

All, I have extensive CNC machines at my disposal. It would be a simple machining operation if I had an original bracket(s) to copy. The issue is, what is the current cost and availability of the current supply. If I could get an answer from all, I could ...

Yes, I suppose they could be cut from sheet metal. They would require machining afterward, I suppose, but I assume the castings did, too. I've never tried 3-D printing, but if the design were digitized, they would be available into the distant future. ...

I think Young-Chang had two bracket types for their grands(?)

Or jump ship altogether. You could do this using brackets from a discarded old cheap stencil grand, or buy  a frame from WNG or Renner.  That involves other costs, obviously.  I generally save old frames when I design a WNG action. ------------------------------ ...

Except that you need the correct configuration from the new ones, don't you? Pwg ------------------------------ Peter Grey Stratham NH 603-686-2395 pianodoctor57@gmail.com ------------------------------

Someone with a laser cutter or CNC could bang them out. ------------------------------ Regards, Jon Page mailto:jonpage@comcast.net http://www.pianocapecod.com ------------------------------

Make copies of good ones out of high grade plywood. ------------------------------ Regards, Jon Page mailto:jonpage@comcast.net http://www.pianocapecod.com ------------------------------

My poor customer has waited 3 months for new action brackets for her Young Chang grand. Has anyone an extra set for sale?  Also, since the supply of these parts is irregular, it seems to me these would be an ideal 3-D printing project. Any thoughts? ...

That means that you altered the level by adjusting the angle of the pin. A minor bend can affect the lever angle by changing the position of the rear and center of the key resting points..  When doing so, I'd be more concerned about the fronts being in-line ...

This is not going to be over for a while, so I think we should still be in damage prevention mode, rather than repair the damage mode. The one instruction that I most wish I had thought to give out: Spray the cloth, do not spray directly on the keys ...

hello Dean, Alan, Jon and all, i found the issue:  i installed new key pins some 6 months ago, eyeballing their straightness when doing so.  Then i had to put everything aside to focus on a customer's rebuild and when i resumed working on my own piano, ...

Hi All, Are you experiencing the same as I? Students, etc are not cleaning keys at all or using alchohol base cleaning products that are damaging the keytops or case parts? How to clean them correctly? After the damage is done. ...

Make sure the lyre is not supported by anything. Back in the 70's, I levelled keys on a piano that was a on a thick shag rug. The piano relocated to the owner's restaurant and the dip instantly became too shallow. It made opening night a little stressful ...

A crowned key level does not preserve the dip. The dip is set the same across the keyboard after leveling. So if the level drops in the center, the dip becomes shallow unless the front rail punching have proportionally compressed. I think Steinway set ...

Yes pints. ------------------------------ David Erickson Wood Restoration and Finish Specialist Wood Doctors Repair and Restoration Jeffersonville IN 502-599-0020 ------------------------------

As mentioned try heating with a hairdryer your resin and powder after mixing and applying to the surface. This should extend your resin usefulness. Pints is the smallest size at this time but as I said earlier shipping hazardous materials dictate what ...

You are correct. Heat gun on low works in jumpstarting the activation process but many times a hairdryer on high is safer. ------------------------------ David Erickson Wood Restoration and Finish Specialist Wood Doctors Repair and Restoration Jeffersonville ...

Hi Peter, I think it's up to the individual tech and piano, but I usually put a crown in a keyboard. I use the same WNG level. I don't have any problem getting the keys to be perfectly level to each other whether I use the flat or curved side of the ...

This is a reminder that the Sigal Music Museum in Greenville South Carolina has a zoom,webinar tomorrow with a panel of experts such as John Watson presenting on Conservation and Restoration . Go to the website at Sigalmusicmuseum.org to sign up today. ...

Sheffey, yes, Baldwin made no effort to dress the string termination surfaces on their verticals in that era and the stringing was fairly slapdash. Also, I believe that on the Monarchs they didn't use key buttons and fixed the balance rail bushings right ...

I prefer to use the side where most of the keys are. Most Steinways have a crown, but I've had some that were straight. With other brands, some are crowned but most are straight.  The best way to find even the slightest unlevel keys that are high is ...

hello All, i have the WNG key level stick and am about to level the keys. Is it best to use the straight edge or the side with the slight crown?   I started with the crowned side, but when you slide your fingers over the keys towards the center of the ...

Hmmmm. I may have this wrong but I don't think Wurzen felt existed in 1986. My understanding was that the company started after the fall of the Berlin wall in1989. In 1991 Klaus and Jack Brand Re-privatized the Weikert felt plant in Wurzen which had been ...

Thanks all for your responses. Steve: That is the sort of information I was looking for. I agree that this one is "low end" of the price point. The back posts are smaller than normal, the hammers are somewhat bright, and the stringing leaves those spots ...

You might have to use a C-clamp to hold the top edge of the case to the dolly.  The string frame adds the weight to balance it. ------------------------------ Regards, Jon Page mailto:jonpage@comcast.net http://www.pianocapecod.com ---------------- ...

hello Laura, i have had two small grands on their side, without plates, for approximately 12 years.  I started to -finally- work on one of them and i could not see nor notice it had damaged them in any way. Peter ------------------------------ Petrus ...

Hello all, I'm working on restoring a small grand, and currently the plate is out of the piano.  I need to temporarily store it out of the way, and was wondering if it will hurt it to put it on its side without the plate in it. Thanks! ------------------------------ ...

Hi Floyd, I have not done a ton of Yamaha grands, but recently did a C-3 with Abel Naturals from Wally Brooks. They turned out very nicely with little work needed. I want to do a C-7 once we have funding back after the pandemic. So easy ...

I am preparing to replace the hammers on a 1986 Yamaha CF.  I've been searching the archives here, and several years ago there were some strong recommendations for using the hammers that Yamaha was at that time supplying for this series, which were made ...

Monarch name belongs to Baldwin. The Hamilton (Baldwin) used Monarch name. Piano is 1979 studio piano with a Hamilton number. No one knows why. Get it tuned. Play it. Good for another 60 years. Bill Klein