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Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

  • 1.  Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Member
    Posted 02-04-2020 12:27
    Hello everyone,

    I've replaced the spring loops on Yamaha uprights several times over the years. The design with the little brass plate seems to be easier to deal with by removing the hammer rest rail and letting the hammers dangle below while gluing in the new thread. When the flanges are all wooden with no brass plate, what is your favorite procedure? Is it worth replacing them with new flanges and dealing with alignment, etc? Or stick with replacing only the thread?

    Any links to articles on this also appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Jeff Farris Piano Service
    Austin, TX

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    Jeff Farris
    Austin TX
    512-636-1914
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  • 2.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Posted 02-06-2020 23:40
    Under the tutelage of my mentor, we found that replacing the flanges themselves, (ordered from Yamaha) was the easiest option.  It doesn't add the brass plates, but the center pins that come inserted into the flanges are at just the right friction.  All we had to do was send home the new pins, screw the new flanges with old shanks/hammers back to the frame, and align hammers based on the grooves. Didn't find any traveling issues either.  All in all, it didn't take much longer than the more desirable method with brass plates.  Here's hoping that the birdseyes are in good shape and you have a relatively quick fix!

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    Robin Whitehouse
    Santa Cruz CA
    robin@santacruzpiano.com
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  • 3.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Posted 02-07-2020 00:39
    When removing the hammers it is advisable to resurface the hammers. You will never get the string cuts totally aligned. An oscillating spindle sander makes quick work of reshaping and it make them look brand new. Optional tapering is a bonus.

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    Regards,

    Jon Page
    mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com
    http://www.pianocapecod.com
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  • 4.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-07-2020 11:10
    I've done a few of these, and always replaced the cord. But frankly, scraping and then gluing in those little cords is an odious chore. I think next time I'll just try new flanges. I've also found that when removing hammer flanges, the existing traveling paper often falls off anyway, so it's not like the preexisting flanges save you that much time.

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    Scott Cole, RPT
    rvpianotuner.com
    Talent, OR
    (541-601-9033
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  • 5.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Posted 02-08-2020 01:23
    Jon, you've jogged my memory - I've done about 20 jobs with the plates and scraping/gluing new tethers, and only 2 or 3 times with new flanges. With the new flanges, I got the relative spacing from the old grooves and then re-surfaced them because of exactly what you said.  Initially, I thought I could get them back in the same spot, my mentor disagreed, and he was right.  Aligning using the old grooves (and adjusting the few that weren't right) before sanding them was a little faster than just doing it from scratch, I think.
    With the plates, the hammers always sound like they go right back to where they were before... have you found differently?

    Scott, if you have the luxury of flanges with the plates, I wonder if the scraping could be made less unpleasant?  We have a sharp scraper that's just the width of the tether channel, and it only takes about 20 minutes to scrape them all out.  Admittedly, I might just be a masochist, but I enjoy the process since it works so easily with that scraper.  That combined with not having to remove the flanges (thus, no traveling) allows me to get the whole job done in about 3 hours.

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    Robin Whitehouse
    Santa Cruz CA
    robin@santacruzpiano.com
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  • 6.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Member
    Posted 02-08-2020 11:44
    Thanks for all the replies! 

    I have replaced the cords several times. I usually scrape them out with an exacto blade. It can be tedious and one must be careful to not bugger up the slot, but so far it has been successful. 

    Thanks for the tip about lining up the hammer grooves before filing when replacing flanges.

    Jeff

    Sent from my iPhone





  • 7.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Posted 02-08-2020 11:53
      |   view attached
    I do't have the time to wait for an order from Yamaha to come. And I don't want to inventory the flanges.
    Replacing the cords takes about 4 hours, not counting removal/renistall on the rail. 

    To clean the grooves I have a segment of a hacksaw blade sandwiched between to slats of wood.

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    Regards,

    Jon Page
    mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com
    http://www.pianocapecod.com
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  • 8.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Posted 02-08-2020 11:55
      |   view attached
    I also like to taper, if time allows.

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    Regards,

    Jon Page
    mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com
    http://www.pianocapecod.com
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  • 9.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-08-2020 15:52
    I find installing new flanges to be more cost effective but prior to that I made a small version of a sound board shimming tool that worked quite well for removing the old threads.

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    Steven Rosenthal
    Honolulu HI
    808-521-7129
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  • 10.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-09-2020 14:31
    A woodcarving v-tool works well to clear old flange string and glue from notches.
    See: https://www.woodcraft.com/categories/v-tools

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    [Dwight][Denzer][RPT]
    [Dwight's Piano Works]
    [Springfield][IL]
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  • 11.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-09-2020 16:41
    To remove the remains of the spring cord I use a pick which is bent at a right angle at the end, the kind you can pick up at any hardware store.   File the tip to a chisel point and round it over sightly.   The real trick is to use an eye dropper to soak the old cord with acetone to soften up the glue before you try to scrape it off.   If you don't you'll chew up the wood.  Since acetone flashes off pretty fast you can't work too far ahead.   About a dozen flanges at a time.  You'll find it comes off quite easily then.

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    Cecil Snyder
    Torrance CA
    310-542-7108
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  • 12.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 02-10-2020 09:25
    I tried scraping goobered up the slot too much. I found a Japanese flush cut saw is thin enough to remove it very quickly without widening the slot. A hack saw blade should do the same.

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    David Stocker, RPT
    PNWRVP
    Olympia WA
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  • 13.  RE: Yamaha hammer flanges with spring/loop replacement

    Posted 02-10-2020 14:22
    I’ve used a hack saw blade for this task. With reasonable care, it works just fine.

    Sent from my iPhone