Pianotech

I tuned a 1932 Samick Upright WG-5 today.  The trapwork just howled when the sustain pedal was put in motion.

I added a leather washer to the interface between the pedal and the rod that goes upward to the trap lever, but that was of no help.  Near the center of the trap lever is a pivot with a coil spring to one side of it.  There was obviously metal-to-metal contact there, and the wear at the pivot point was such that everything moved in a pretty sloppy manner.  I ran out of time and was not able to come to a firm diagnosis as to where the sound was generated, but it seemed probable that it was in that joint.

If I had the piano in a shop, I could easily fabricate an old-school wooden assembly with a steel spring (Schaff 584) but that is not a particularly workable option on location.  I'll contact Samick in the morning to see what is available in replacement parts, but its a 40 year old product.

But I'm sure many of you have run into this scenario on these pianos time and again.  What has been your go-to fix?

I tuned a 1932 Samick Upright WG-5 today.  The trapwork just howled when the sustain pedal was put in motion.

I added a leather washer to the interface between the pedal and the rod that goes upward to the trap lever, but that was of no help.  Near the center of the trap lever is a pivot with a coil spring to one side of it.  There was obviously metal-to-metal contact there, and the wear at the pivot point was such that everything moved in a pretty sloppy manner.  I ran out of time and was not able to come to a firm diagnosis as to where the sound was generated, but it seemed probable that it was in that joint.

If I had the piano in a shop, I could easily fabricate an old-school wooden assembly with a steel spring (Schaff 584) but that is not a particularly workable option on location.  I'll contact Samick in the morning to see what is available in replacement parts, but its a 40 year old product.

But I'm sure many of you have run into this scenario on these pianos time and again.  What has been your go-to fix?

It would be useful to have some pictures since it is hard to visualize. I have had issues with trapwork noises in uprights that have coils, tubular pedal rods, plastic caps and spring coils . I like to troubleshoot pedal noises from the ground up starting with the pedal brackets, pedal pivot pins, pedal rods Coil springs are a challenge depending where they are

I tuned a 1932 Samick Upright WG-5 today.  The trapwork just howled when the sustain pedal was put in motion.

I added a leather washer to the interface between the pedal and the rod that goes upward to the trap lever, but that was of no help.  Near the center of the trap lever is a pivot with a coil spring to one side of it.  There was obviously metal-to-metal contact there, and the wear at the pivot point was such that everything moved in a pretty sloppy manner.  I ran out of time and was not able to come to a firm diagnosis as to where the sound was generated, but it seemed probable that it was in that joint.

If I had the piano in a shop, I could easily fabricate an old-school wooden assembly with a steel spring (Schaff 584) but that is not a particularly workable option on location.  I'll contact Samick in the morning to see what is available in replacement parts, but its a 40 year old product.

But I'm sure many of you have run into this scenario on these pianos time and again.  What has been your go-to fix?

James, you are describing the kind of system I am looking at.  Your words suggest that there might be plastic bushings in the pivot that have crumbled.  That would explain the wild amount of play in the joint that I am observing.  I am awaiting a return call from Samick in Nashville.

It would be useful to have some pictures since it is hard to visualize. I have had issues with trapwork noises in uprights that have coils, tubular pedal rods, plastic caps and spring coils . I like to troubleshoot pedal noises from the ground up starting with the pedal brackets, pedal pivot pins, pedal rods Coil springs are a challenge depending where they are

I tuned a 1932 Samick Upright WG-5 today.  The trapwork just howled when the sustain pedal was put in motion.

I added a leather washer to the interface between the pedal and the rod that goes upward to the trap lever, but that was of no help.  Near the center of the trap lever is a pivot with a coil spring to one side of it.  There was obviously metal-to-metal contact there, and the wear at the pivot point was such that everything moved in a pretty sloppy manner.  I ran out of time and was not able to come to a firm diagnosis as to where the sound was generated, but it seemed probable that it was in that joint.

If I had the piano in a shop, I could easily fabricate an old-school wooden assembly with a steel spring (Schaff 584) but that is not a particularly workable option on location.  I'll contact Samick in the morning to see what is available in replacement parts, but its a 40 year old product.

But I'm sure many of you have run into this scenario on these pianos time and again.  What has been your go-to fix?

And I see my typo above.  A 1982 Samick.

James, you are describing the kind of system I am looking at.  Your words suggest that there might be plastic bushings in the pivot that have crumbled.  That would explain the wild amount of play in the joint that I am observing.  I am awaiting a return call from Samick in Nashville.

It would be useful to have some pictures since it is hard to visualize. I have had issues with trapwork noises in uprights that have coils, tubular pedal rods, plastic caps and spring coils . I like to troubleshoot pedal noises from the ground up starting with the pedal brackets, pedal pivot pins, pedal rods Coil springs are a challenge depending where they are

I tuned a 1932 Samick Upright WG-5 today.  The trapwork just howled when the sustain pedal was put in motion.

I added a leather washer to the interface between the pedal and the rod that goes upward to the trap lever, but that was of no help.  Near the center of the trap lever is a pivot with a coil spring to one side of it.  There was obviously metal-to-metal contact there, and the wear at the pivot point was such that everything moved in a pretty sloppy manner.  I ran out of time and was not able to come to a firm diagnosis as to where the sound was generated, but it seemed probable that it was in that joint.

If I had the piano in a shop, I could easily fabricate an old-school wooden assembly with a steel spring (Schaff 584) but that is not a particularly workable option on location.  I'll contact Samick in the morning to see what is available in replacement parts, but its a 40 year old product.

But I'm sure many of you have run into this scenario on these pianos time and again.  What has been your go-to fix?