Pianotech

  • 1.  Mason & Hamlin whippens-refurbish/clean

    Member
    Posted 06-27-2022 11:09

    Looking for suggestions to clean up a full set of Mason & Hamlin whippens that I am swapping out. The replacements are in much better condition than the existing whips but I am thinking I can do some things to them to improve their looks and performance. The rebound cushions are dirty and have divots in them and some tilt to the side. There are marks pn the heels of the whippens from the capstans and the jack return felt is compressed by the spoon. I plan to lubricate the screw that adds tension to the rep spring and to use the graphite/dag treatment on the whip rep lever sides, jack top and jack toe . Any suggestions or tips ?

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    James Kelly
    Owner- Fur Elise Piano Service
    Pawleys Island SC
    (843) 325-4357
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  • 2.  RE: Mason & Hamlin whippens-refurbish/clean

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 06-27-2022 11:25
    James

    You can "clean up" the felts and even "voice" them, by inserting your voicing needles in the felts to fluff them up. You can also remove the spring from the slots, and clean out the slots with a sharp tool, like a small screw driver. But you don't want to remove all the lubricants. 

    But my question is, why do you want to spend so much time to clean all the wips, which will have to be repeated in about 10 years, when it might be cheaper in the long run to replace them with new ones?  

    Wim



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