Pianotech

  • 1.  Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-06-2022 09:44
    Just thinking this through. Would there be a downside with putting a slit in the rubber grommet, like we do for key punchings? I can see how it would save a lot of time during installation.

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    Benjamin Sanchez, RPT
    Piano Technician / Artisan
    (256) 947-9999
    www.professional-piano-services.com
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  • 2.  RE: Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Posted 09-06-2022 09:47
    hello Benjamin,
    i have done this quite several times and have seen no issues with it.
    Peter

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    Petrus Janssen
    Peachtree City GA
    (678) 416-8055
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  • 3.  RE: Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-06-2022 11:08
    Ben. While I’ve never done it that way, I’ve heard it done like that successfully by many technicians. My only concern is when the screw or nut has to be adjusted for lost motion.

    Wim

    Sent from my iPhone




  • 4.  RE: Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-06-2022 20:28
    I tried it today and it went well. Much faster than disassembling the lifters. Had to adjust lost motion afterwards, no issues with the grommets.

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    Benjamin Sanchez, RPT
    Piano Technician / Artisan
    (256) 947-9999
    www.professional-piano-services.com
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  • 5.  RE: Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-07-2022 04:53
    Ben. My concern isn’t when the grommets are new and flexible. What will happen in 25-30 years when the rubber is hard. Will the slice in the grommet still hold when adjusting lost motion?

    Sent from my iPhone




  • 6.  RE: Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Posted 09-07-2022 07:09
    Hi Wim,
    When the rubber gets hard, it'll be time to replace them again as they will start getting noisy and breaking apart.
    Peter

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    Petrus Janssen
    Peachtree City GA
    (678) 416-8055
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  • 7.  RE: Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 09-07-2022 08:25
    That was my thought too Peter.

    Peter Grey Piano Doctor

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    Peter Grey
    Stratham NH
    (603) 686-2395
    pianodoctor57@gmail.com
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  • 8.  RE: Replacing Rubber Grommets

    Posted 09-07-2022 14:18
    The last job like this that I did, the metal fingers that the grommet slides into were rusted.  In addition, many of the old grommets were so hard they disintegrated on removal with bits and pieces of the old grommet left sticking to the fingers.  I felt a lot better about the job by cleaning out all of that mess.

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    Neil Vanderschaaf
    Round Rock TX
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