I've dealt with several recalcitrant squeaky shift situations and here's what helped.
Scraping: On a crop of NY and Hamburg Steinways (from 2017), the key bed and key frame on the right side had a gunky substance looking like bee's wax. I had to scrape it off. Deep scraping, taking off the entire top layer of wood. Sanding wasn't enough. The surface should feel completely clean, free of any grease or waxy substance.
Soft wood: On many recent NY Steinways, there is no hardwood insert in the key frame where the shift iron contacts it. The iron creates a dent in the spruce and that will squeak. Further, someone had applied a greasy substance, and that exacerbated the squeak. I cleaned it with repeated applications of 91% alcohol, and then ended up scraping the surface. On several frames I had a hardwood insert installed. The endgrain should run toward the shift iron. I've had squeaks with maple inserts oriented front-back.
Lube: In all cases, when the key bed and frame and all metal contact points are clean, applying McLube444 (or 1725) and letting it dry thoroughly (15 minutes) will eliminate the squeak and the shift will feel totally smooth.
Be sure to lubricate ALL contact points, which include the tip of the shift iron, return spring, and end pins on the front rail. Aside from the wood on and under the front, balance, and back rails, and the glides, I lubricate the glides' path on the key bed. That reduces the wear and makes it easier to slide the action in and out. And, it's nice to lubricate not only the right, but also the left key frame wall. That makes it slide against the key frame rest cleat, reducing the wear of the cleat cloth if you remove the action frequently.
I used to apply dry soap bar (Ivory soap) to the contact points and that worked well back when the soap bars were good. Recently, ivory soap has been soft and gunky, and doesn't work at all. I've used hotel soap bars as well in the past, and those worked, but repeated applications of soap lead to buildup that has to be eventually scraped off. The soap attracts dust and dirt to some extent, and becomes ineffective in high humidity, so I don't use it anymore.
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Mario Igrec, RPT, MM
Chief Piano Technician, The Juilliard School
http://www.pianosinsideout.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 09-18-2024 12:22
From: David Graham
Subject: Noisy shift on Hamburg C
Yes the keybed was greasy, likely my fault using McLube liquid on glides. Rebuilder used whiskey to clean that off, so does not feel greasy any longer. Key frame was sanded and then re- bedded. I will be going back tomorrow with a list of everyone's suggestions and try them step by step, beginning with removing keys and action, weighing down keyframe and working through the list. Thanks to all, I will let you know what works (hopefully)!
David Graham
Graham Piano Service, Inc.
512 S. Main St.
Sycamore IL 60178
815-353-5450
Original Message:
Sent: 9/18/2024 11:08:00 AM
From: Kenneth Walkup
Subject: RE: Noisy shift on Hamburg C
I'm wondering if it's possible that the key bed is contaminated with something. We know there is Teflon present, we know that sanding occurred; perhaps something is present that causes the fast squeak sound. In the early '80's, I did a recording session on a Steinway D, there was a squeak when the soft pedal was used. I did all the usual things as you have, except that Teflon powder wasn't a thing then. Many people used talc powder for the same purpose, including me. In desperation, after trying everything else I could think of, I wondered if perhaps the talc was the problem. I brushed away as much as I could and washed the keybed down with paper towels and alcohol. That did it, no problems afterward. I think there might have been an oily component to the talc. So, teflon is not talc, but just maybe something else is on there. I think it wouldn't hurt to try washing the keybed.
Ken Walkup
Original Message:
Sent: 9/17/2024 8:13:00 AM
From: Edward Foote
Subject: RE: Noisy shift on Hamburg C
Greetings,
If I understand the previous posting, the noise occurs with the action pulled out so there is no dag contact? That is a long way out, so it isn't the front rail, and I wouldn't suspect the glides. If you can make the noise occur by levering the keyframe with a screwdriver, perhaps there is something flexing in the keyframe? A joint that can move? Are all the glide inserts in the keybed tight? And, of course, nothing is contacting the bottom of the pinblock...
Wondering,
Original Message:
Sent: 9/16/2024 2:03:00 PM
From: David Graham
Subject: RE: Noisy shift on Hamburg C
Horace: so the ebony is glued to keyframe, so that becomes the point of contact with the lever? To answer the other question, I did notice there is a bit of a wobble in lever, not noticeable under the piano but I could move the bit sticking through the keybed a bit fore and aft. Everything underneath seemed fine, so maybe the hole in the lever has oval shape?
David Graham
Graham Piano Service, Inc.
512 S. Main St.
Sycamore IL 60178
815-353-5450
Good questions, Horace. Piano is a 1909 C, client purchased it as a shell, was then rebuilt about 6 years ago. Noise showed up maybe 3 years ago, though there were also pedal and lyre issues that complicated the whole situation. Those are fixed. The last time the rebuilder was here, he borrowed my palm sander and apparently created quite a dust cloud in the client's garage, and then it was quiet for maybe 6 months. I'm wondering if anyone can compare the pix to another C, wondering if grain of keyframe rubbing against the grain of keybed could cause the issue.
The keyboard is Kluge, new keyframe was manufactured when piano was rebuilt.
David Graham
Graham Piano Service, Inc.
512 S. Main St.
Sycamore IL 60178
815-353-5450
Original Message:
Sent: 9/16/2024 11:42:00 AM
From: David Graham
Subject: Noisy shift on Hamburg C
This issue is driving client ( and me) crazy. The action makes a "sshk shhk sound going both in and out of shift position. It seems like somewhere there is too much friction, so as it shifts it does so in steps that sound like a click. I can make it make the noise without using pedal, just using a screwdriver to move it over and back. Not the dags. Glide bolts set properly. Teflon powder on key bed.
Anyone have any tricks? The rebuilder has been here from NY twice work on it, noise goes away, then comes back. Client plays a lot of chamber music, room is heavily carpeted so easy to hear the sound in a quiet room
David Graham
Graham Piano Service, Inc.
512 S. Main St.
Sycamore IL 60178
815-353-5450