Thanks, Joe. Yes, I now notice that the footer on the article I printed out is August, 2009. However, the point of my rant was that when I did a search for the article it gave me a link labeled March, 2009. Following your confirmation that the article was in the August, 2009 issue, I quickly found it again, and it is the same article I printed out. Unfortunately, doing a new search, just now, looking for that article by author, subject and year, I was unable to find it at all. The search returned mass quantities of pianotech forum messages but literally no returns on Bruce's article. Again, without helpful tips like yours finding anything specific in the PTG archives is close to impossible.
Thanks again, for the tip on Bruce's article. Very helpful information. The project is not nearly as terrifying as I imagined it to be and I have submitted an estimate to the customer. Vincent Choi tells me he has the parts in stock and the kit is $90 plus $10 shipping.
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Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-03-2021 13:04
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: YC expansion
Hi Geoff,
The article I was remembering is actually August 2009. I found it. In my archives (bookshelf.)
Original Message:
Sent: 7/2/2021 12:55:00 PM
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: RE: YC expansion
Thanks for the tip on the Journal article, Joe. It was March, 2009. And I know that because I spent over 1/2 an hour searching the PTG archives, in all manner of ways, having to open more than a few search result links and... well... you know the story. Lots of people, with lots of time, have generously captured and uploaded valuable data to the PTG website. It is just so horribly organized, indexed and, fer cryin' out loud, labeled that it's close to impossible to find anything. Without this forum so much of the value of the PTG website to techs would be totally lost forever because who would actually have the patience to put in the time necessary to find it without the valuable tips posted here by fellow techs like you. Thanks!
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Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2021 12:18
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: YC expansion
Hi Geoff,
There's also an article in the journal from Bruce Dornfeld about the procedure. April 2009 I believe, if memory serves. But I have to look it up myself now. I imagine that the wippen rail has slots, rather than round holes to accept the screws.
Joe Wiencek
Original Message:
Sent: 7/1/2021 12:00:00 PM
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: RE: YC expansion
Thanks for the tip on string height, Terry. Being able to sort of pre-set blow distance and some regulation before return makes sense.
The document says to adjust the wippen rail to adjust action spread, if needed. If all the holes in the replacement brackets are predrilled, how does one go about adjusting that wippen rail position?
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Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2021 09:07
From: Terrence Farrell
Subject: YC expansion
It really is an amazing simple process Geoff. I looked at that YC document and it spells it out quite well. About the only thing I'd add is the measure action spread, I used a divider caliper - that way you can very clearly and very accurately place the points on the same locations (left/right edge or center) on the center pins. Be careful to not strip any of the machine screws and tighten them down well. Maybe another thing would be to measure string heights well when you pick up the action (assuming you'll be doing the work in your shop). Sometimes a tech (?) in the past has compensated for blocking hammers and sometimes not. Ideally, the action has not been messed with and, theoretically at least, when the new brackets are installed and action spread is properly set, the regulation will just magically fall into place (remember, the piano is now probably 30 years old - I've not had one that didn't need some regulation, and usually some drastic regulation....).
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Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
Brandon, Florida
terry@farrellpiano.com
813-684-3505
Original Message:
Sent: 06-30-2021 19:04
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: YC expansion
Terry --
Since you have done so many of the action bracket replacement, and I have done none but now have one potentially waiting, in a nutshell, what is involved with replacing the brackets?
I'm guessing...
Get the action out of the piano by whatever means.
At some point the action needs to be completely disassembled to remove the old brackets. (Roughly, how long does this take?)
Then the action gets reassembled around the new brackets. (Roughly, how long does this take?)
Regulation.
Is there more to it than this?
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Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
Original Message:
Sent: 06-21-2021 17:06
From: Terrence Farrell
Subject: YC expansion
I've probably done at least a half-dozen of the YC action bracket replacements over the years. Take a look and see if the rep drop screws are very close or even touching the bottom of the pinblock - that would be advanced expansion. Also I think every set of expanding brackets I've seen have had visible hairline (or larger!) cracks all over the sides of the brackets. It's one of those things that you can look at an expanding bracket and not see the cracks sometimes, but then after staring a while you finally see one - and then you see that they are all over the place.
And just for fun (because it was!!!), in case the drop screws won't clear the pinblock, there is always the sledge hammer! In the second video, watch the hammer rail pop up when the bracket finally breaks all the way through at 07 seconds into the video.
------------------------------
Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
Brandon, Florida
terry@farrellpiano.com
813-684-3505
Original Message:
Sent: 06-21-2021 14:22
From: Joe Wiencek
Subject: YC expansion
List,
I just got a new client with a model G-157 YC. I'm suspicious that it might be in the expanding bracket group. Though the regulation was quite out, I did not experience what I've previously seen associated with expanding brackets (blocking hammers, erratic hammerline.) some areas did have the jack positioned quite far from the player, more than usual for a long-neglected regulation. What are some other indications of bracket expansion? I want to do the work to make this piano play correctly, but not at the cost of having to redo it again. I have submitted the piano in question to query Vincent Choi if this is indeed within the problematic manufacturing period.
Thanks for any input.
Joe Wiencek
NYC