Pianotech

Hello All,

(Sorry, stuck with the misspelled installation. Went to edit, but cannot change the subject line.)

Anyone have a clever technique on installing the Steinway Lyre single-handedly? Not getting any younger, and struggling with mating the plates, hammering the upper lyre block back into the locking position, while at the same time lining up and inserting the dowel supports has never been an easy one person installation.

Has anyone ever created adjustable support dowels (or modified the existing dowels) such that these can expand from too short to snug by lengthening same via some sort of screw arrangement?

Currently working with an old, large and heavy vintage S&S B lyre, the kind where the rear pedals are enclosed in the pedal box.

Any and all suggestions welcome!

Nick G

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Nick Gravagne, RPT
Mechanical Engineering
Nick Gravagne Products
Strawberry, AZ 85544
gravagnegang@att.net
928-476-4143
------------------------------

The only thing I would add to this that's helped me is to add a couple of solid rubber doorstops underneath the lyre itself, to help keep the plates in the lyre and the keybed closer to each other as you position them. Also, if I'm the one who removed the lyre in the first place I'll put tape on the keybed at the bass and treble ends of the lyre top before I remove it to help center the lyre when I re-install.

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David Dunn, RPT
Piano Maintenance Technician and Coordinator
UNI School of Music
Cedar Falls, IA
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-10-2020 02:43
From: David Love
Subject: Steinway Lyre Insallation

Yes.  

1. First wedge the trap levers and horn up so they are out of the way of the tops of the pedal rods-this really helps. Rubber tuning mutes work well for this. 
   
2. Insert the lyre braces into the lyre box and slide the lyre back away from you and tilt it forward slightly as you insert the top of the braces into the receiving area at the bottom of the key bed. Now the braces are in at the top and bottom but the lyre is resting on the floor, pushed back slightly with a slight forward tilt. 
3. While sitting on the floor facing the lyre, hold the lyre posts down where the braces meet it so you can wrap your thumbs around the posts and your fingers around the braces to support them.  Apply upward pressure to keep the braces in place as you lift the lyre and move the locking plates toward each other in a slight arc. Keep that upward pressure on the braces as you mate the locking plates and then push the lyre back to lock them. 
4. Set the plates tight with a rubber mallet (otherwise it can creak), turn the locking pivot block into position, remove the trap lever wedges and you're done. 

Easier done than said (or explained) and you're working by feel without trying to see the locking plates so make sure you are squared up before you start lifting. It does work well with a bit of practice. It should happen in one smooth motion. If you have to hold up the lyre for very long trying to find where the plates mate up it becomes more difficult. 

 

David Love

Marking lines with chaulk on the front and back and both ends can establish an index to hep align the position. I have used a large rubber doorstop in the past but I found something much better.It as an inflatable bladder used to help position cabinets. You can use it to both lower the lyre and raise it just by squeezing a rubber bulb or releasing the valve. They sell them in the tool section at Home Depot.

I think pianotek has large bolts with a cup head that can be used to tighten the prop sticks . Mason and Hamlin has an adjustable bolt of some type on their prop sticks. I saw a tech tip in the journal where you insert a large wood screw into the end of the dowel or maybe the mortise and adjust fit . I use painters tape to hold the sticks in place o they don't fall out and crack my skull.

I will look up the name of the air bag device. It works great on S & S and Knabe lyres

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James Kelly
Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
Pawleys Island SC
843-325-4357
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-10-2020 07:07
From: David Dunn
Subject: Steinway Lyre Insallation

The only thing I would add to this that's helped me is to add a couple of solid rubber doorstops underneath the lyre itself, to help keep the plates in the lyre and the keybed closer to each other as you position them. Also, if I'm the one who removed the lyre in the first place I'll put tape on the keybed at the bass and treble ends of the lyre top before I remove it to help center the lyre when I re-install.

------------------------------
David Dunn, RPT
Piano Maintenance Technician and Coordinator
UNI School of Music
Cedar Falls, IA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-10-2020 02:43
From: David Love
Subject: Steinway Lyre Insallation

Yes.  

1. First wedge the trap levers and horn up so they are out of the way of the tops of the pedal rods-this really helps. Rubber tuning mutes work well for this. 
   
2. Insert the lyre braces into the lyre box and slide the lyre back away from you and tilt it forward slightly as you insert the top of the braces into the receiving area at the bottom of the key bed. Now the braces are in at the top and bottom but the lyre is resting on the floor, pushed back slightly with a slight forward tilt. 
3. While sitting on the floor facing the lyre, hold the lyre posts down where the braces meet it so you can wrap your thumbs around the posts and your fingers around the braces to support them.  Apply upward pressure to keep the braces in place as you lift the lyre and move the locking plates toward each other in a slight arc. Keep that upward pressure on the braces as you mate the locking plates and then push the lyre back to lock them. 
4. Set the plates tight with a rubber mallet (otherwise it can creak), turn the locking pivot block into position, remove the trap lever wedges and you're done. 

Easier done than said (or explained) and you're working by feel without trying to see the locking plates so make sure you are squared up before you start lifting. It does work well with a bit of practice. It should happen in one smooth motion. If you have to hold up the lyre for very long trying to find where the plates mate up it becomes more difficult. 

 

David Love

Here's that item from Pianotek.

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John Pope
University of Kentucky School of Music
Lexington, KY
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Hello Nick,
I have done a simple modification to a Steinway B lyre support dowels- I sawed a small bit of the square ends off, installed a fairly stout screw with a pan or as round a head as possible, and installed a lag screw with a cup (the supply houses used to sell these, but seem perpetually out of stock. Perhaps Klinke in Germany sells them?)
A little trial and error to adjust close, and the final tightening can be done with screwing the cup lag out to meet the screw head in the dowel support end.

As a first attempt, I certainly could improve upon it, but the supports are now very solid.

If you look at some newer Yamaha (CF6) grand lyre supports, some have a turnbuckle to tighten. Easy to install. But then again, the whole lyre is more easily attached on a Yamaha.


Joe Wiencek
NYC

The device is called Air Shim and comes in various sizes and capacities n  when not used for piano work it can be put on your car seat to support your lower back

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James Kelly
Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
Pawleys Island SC
843-325-4357
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-10-2020 11:17
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: Steinway Lyre Insallation

Hello Nick,
I have done a simple modification to a Steinway B lyre support dowels- I sawed a small bit of the square ends off, installed a fairly stout screw with a pan or as round a head as possible, and installed a lag screw with a cup (the supply houses used to sell these, but seem perpetually out of stock. Perhaps Klinke in Germany sells them?)
A little trial and error to adjust close, and the final tightening can be done with screwing the cup lag out to meet the screw head in the dowel support end.

As a first attempt, I certainly could improve upon it, but the supports are now very solid.

If you look at some newer Yamaha (CF6) grand lyre supports, some have a turnbuckle to tighten. Easy to install. But then again, the whole lyre is more easily attached on a Yamaha.


Joe Wiencek
NYC

UPDATE Steinway Lyre Installation:

Thanks to all for input. A few folks (Alan Eder to name one, passing on a tip from Issac Sadagurski) , posted RE small hand pump, inflatable "wedges" to be placed under the lyre box, which will lift the lyre into place, acting as a third hand (or as an assistant helper). This has worked well for me. See attached photos.

The procedure: a tip from Debbie Cyr (now filed in my "how come I didn't know this years ago folder"), before removing the lyre, outline the lyre's head block on the underside of the keybed with white chalk. Upon re-installation, sit on the floor facing the front of the lyre, place the lyre on top of the air wedge and position the lyre by eye to line up with the chalk marks, re-position the wedge if necessary. Inflate the wedge to where the lyre plates begin to mate but do not drive the head block home yet. Insert the lyre braces (will be loose, if too loose tap the head block to the rear a bit). Once the braces are in place, drive the head block home with a dead blow or rubber hammer.

Air wedges come in many sizes and shapes, but all do basically the same thing. The photos show what I found at Amazon. The two wedges came in the same order. Squeezing the bulb takes a bit of effort, but not bad. A button on the filler tube releases the air. You may want a longer filler tube so search around. The un-inflated wedges lie fairly flat, but expand to 2 inches, so when lifting a lyre into place, a spacer board is not required. Note that the smaller wedge can lift 440 pounds (we always perk up when we see the number 440)!

Nick G


------------------------------
Nick Gravagne, RPT
Mechanical Engineering
Nick Gravagne Products
Strawberry, AZ 85544
gravagnegang@att.net
928-476-4143
------------------------------

Nick, I recently saw a video where the wedge was pumped by foot, probably much easier than hand.
Those wedges look really useful.Third hand indeed!

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Steven Rosenthal
Honolulu HI
808-521-7129
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-23-2020 13:44
From: Nicholas Gravagne
Subject: Steinway Lyre Insallation

UPDATE Steinway Lyre Installation:

Thanks to all for input. A few folks (Alan Eder to name one, passing on a tip from Issac Sadagurski) , posted RE small hand pump, inflatable "wedges" to be placed under the lyre box, which will lift the lyre into place, acting as a third hand (or as an assistant helper). This has worked well for me. See attached photos.

The procedure: a tip from Debbie Cyr (now filed in my "how come I didn't know this years ago folder"), before removing the lyre, outline the lyre's head block on the underside of the keybed with white chalk. Upon re-installation, sit on the floor facing the front of the lyre, place the lyre on top of the air wedge and position the lyre by eye to line up with the chalk marks, re-position the wedge if necessary. Inflate the wedge to where the lyre plates begin to mate but do not drive the head block home yet. Insert the lyre braces (will be loose, if too loose tap the head block to the rear a bit). Once the braces are in place, drive the head block home with a dead blow or rubber hammer.

Air wedges come in many sizes and shapes, but all do basically the same thing. The photos show what I found at Amazon. The two wedges came in the same order. Squeezing the bulb takes a bit of effort, but not bad. A button on the filler tube releases the air. You may want a longer filler tube so search around. The un-inflated wedges lie fairly flat, but expand to 2 inches, so when lifting a lyre into place, a spacer board is not required. Note that the smaller wedge can lift 440 pounds (we always perk up when we see the number 440)!

Nick G

------------------------------
Nick Gravagne, RPT
Mechanical Engineering
Nick Gravagne Products
Strawberry, AZ 85544
gravagnegang@att.net
928-476-4143
------------------------------