It is true that flaking center pin plating has been observed in some cases, but that certainly isn't the only cause of excessive flange friction. Don Mannino is our most knowledgeable expert on this topic. I hope you've had the opportunity to attend his class on the topic. I seem to recall he (or someone else) indicated one of them Asian manufacturers had friction problems because the action cloth got bound up while being pulled through the flange. The felt was excessively dense in places and the high friction developed over time.
When the folks at WNG developed their first generation of composite parts they were using felt bushings. They had big problems until they employed a former employee of one of the "big" action part manufacturers, and he revealed some "trade secrets" that helped them optimize their procedures. Of course, they then developed their hard composite budshings.
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Patrick Draine RPT
Billerica MA
(978) 663-9690
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-18-2023 12:45
From: Loren Kelley
Subject: Essex pianos
I have worked on a number of Essex pianos, both uprights and grands, that developed excessive friction in the action parts over months or years. This has been a topic of discussion on this list before. Does anyone know if Pearl River ever fixed this problem? From what I remember, the best guess among members of this list is that it was the plating on action center pins that flaked off and embedded in the surrounding felt. I am asking because a customer of mine wants to upgrade from her present junky spinet, and she visited a store and is considering buying an Essex EUP 123. I have visited the store and it seems like a good and honest business, and the piano is guaranteed for 5 years. In my response to the email from my customer, I described the problem and told her I would ask the list if anyone knows about any updates on the situation.