CAUT

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

https://www.robertspianos.com/top-makes-of-piano/bluthner-pianos/bluthner-grand-pianos/

Part of the design is that each individual action is screwed into the key, thus the difficulty in simply removing the stack and then the keys. 

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

https://www.robertspianos.com/top-makes-of-piano/bluthner-pianos/bluthner-grand-pianos/

Part of the design is that each individual action is screwed into the key, thus the difficulty in simply removing the stack and then the keys. 

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

https://www.robertspianos.com/top-makes-of-piano/bluthner-pianos/bluthner-grand-pianos/

Part of the design is that each individual action is screwed into the key, thus the difficulty in simply removing the stack and then the keys. 

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

https://www.robertspianos.com/top-makes-of-piano/bluthner-pianos/bluthner-grand-pianos/

Part of the design is that each individual action is screwed into the key, thus the difficulty in simply removing the stack and then the keys. 

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

It is definitely more work to remove and replace the action stack on a Blüthner Patent Action than doing the same with a conventional action.  The repetition springs need to be unhooked from their brushed attachment point in the hopper, then the top action can carefully be lifted off. If the guide pins do not slide out of the buckskin on the rocker capstan, they may need a little help, i.e. prop up the hammer rail 5 mm or so and be sure the guide pins are all coming out nicely before taking it off entirely.  Reassemble the opposite way. A long pair of forceps can really help to re-insert the guide pins.  Then reinsert the rep springs.

If you are certain that the balance holes are the problem? Personally I would find a bit unusual that the balance holes would be binding across the board on a piano that is 120 years old. I usually see the opposite - loose balance holes. Make sure you have a key friction problem before going through all this effort. Sometimes the hammers on these pianos have been replaced in the past, with larger, heavier hammers. These can easily push the touch weight into the range of poor touch.  That is a different problem entirely, of course.

But if you are sure it's the balance holes are the problem, then this is what needs to be done.  

PS On a Blüthner Patent Action you don't need a special offset screwdriver to adjust the rocker capstans. In fact, such a tool will not be able to access the rear screws. Simply use a long thin shank, straight screwdriver. For the rear screws, go down into the action just behind the hammer flange.

Happy Blüthning!

https://www.robertspianos.com/top-makes-of-piano/bluthner-pianos/bluthner-grand-pianos/

Part of the design is that each individual action is screwed into the key, thus the difficulty in simply removing the stack and then the keys. 

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

I just re-read your original post and see that the Patent action has been "completely rebuilt".  In other words, it has new hammers.  This makes me even more suspicious....

It is definitely more work to remove and replace the action stack on a Blüthner Patent Action than doing the same with a conventional action.  The repetition springs need to be unhooked from their brushed attachment point in the hopper, then the top action can carefully be lifted off. If the guide pins do not slide out of the buckskin on the rocker capstan, they may need a little help, i.e. prop up the hammer rail 5 mm or so and be sure the guide pins are all coming out nicely before taking it off entirely.  Reassemble the opposite way. A long pair of forceps can really help to re-insert the guide pins.  Then reinsert the rep springs.

If you are certain that the balance holes are the problem? Personally I would find a bit unusual that the balance holes would be binding across the board on a piano that is 120 years old. I usually see the opposite - loose balance holes. Make sure you have a key friction problem before going through all this effort. Sometimes the hammers on these pianos have been replaced in the past, with larger, heavier hammers. These can easily push the touch weight into the range of poor touch.  That is a different problem entirely, of course.

But if you are sure it's the balance holes are the problem, then this is what needs to be done.  

PS On a Blüthner Patent Action you don't need a special offset screwdriver to adjust the rocker capstans. In fact, such a tool will not be able to access the rear screws. Simply use a long thin shank, straight screwdriver. For the rear screws, go down into the action just behind the hammer flange.

Happy Blüthning!

https://www.robertspianos.com/top-makes-of-piano/bluthner-pianos/bluthner-grand-pianos/

Part of the design is that each individual action is screwed into the key, thus the difficulty in simply removing the stack and then the keys. 

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Thanks for the advice Jurgen. The entire piano has been completely rebuild, including the keys and keyframe, wood, felt, leather, and springs in the action, etc. Truly a complete rebuild, not a partial one. The owner has another Blüthner with a normal action that was also completely rebuilt by the same gentleman in Europe. On that one, the balance rail holes were too tight, which is what originally got me looking at the one in question. 

On the Blüthner with the Patent action, it's obvious the keys themselves are too tight. I can't hardly lift them up without some effort, let along have them drop back to their original position. I thought of touchweight issues too, but the pianist is quite happy with the touch - he just wants to be able to trill. At the moment, neither he nor I are able to. He is quite the accomplished (concert) pianist and is very familiar with the type of instrument he has. His expectations are not unrealistic. I'm 99.9% sure this is where the problem lies. 

I just re-read your original post and see that the Patent action has been "completely rebuilt".  In other words, it has new hammers.  This makes me even more suspicious....

It is definitely more work to remove and replace the action stack on a Blüthner Patent Action than doing the same with a conventional action.  The repetition springs need to be unhooked from their brushed attachment point in the hopper, then the top action can carefully be lifted off. If the guide pins do not slide out of the buckskin on the rocker capstan, they may need a little help, i.e. prop up the hammer rail 5 mm or so and be sure the guide pins are all coming out nicely before taking it off entirely.  Reassemble the opposite way. A long pair of forceps can really help to re-insert the guide pins.  Then reinsert the rep springs.

If you are certain that the balance holes are the problem? Personally I would find a bit unusual that the balance holes would be binding across the board on a piano that is 120 years old. I usually see the opposite - loose balance holes. Make sure you have a key friction problem before going through all this effort. Sometimes the hammers on these pianos have been replaced in the past, with larger, heavier hammers. These can easily push the touch weight into the range of poor touch.  That is a different problem entirely, of course.

But if you are sure it's the balance holes are the problem, then this is what needs to be done.  

PS On a Blüthner Patent Action you don't need a special offset screwdriver to adjust the rocker capstans. In fact, such a tool will not be able to access the rear screws. Simply use a long thin shank, straight screwdriver. For the rear screws, go down into the action just behind the hammer flange.

Happy Blüthning!

https://www.robertspianos.com/top-makes-of-piano/bluthner-pianos/bluthner-grand-pianos/

Part of the design is that each individual action is screwed into the key, thus the difficulty in simply removing the stack and then the keys. 

What is a Bluthner patent action and how different is it from the other Bluthner ? can you use the tool that Pianotek carried for easing balance rail holes ? I have used it with great success as well as the Flugelbauer tool however there is a problem when the keybutton has a very narrow opening and the key pin is stacked with a smaller diameter top like on Chickerings, Chas M Stieff

Hello all,

I have a client who has two completely rebuilt Blüthners, one with a regular action and one with a Patent action. Last time I worked on the regular action and eased the balance rail holes. The Patent action needs the same thing done the next time I go back. My question is what is the best way to go about doing that. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks