Im rebuilding a rhodes and several of the hammers are quite loose side to side. On vintage vibes video on hammers they stated this would be due to a flange pin deteriorating, if I remmebr correct, and that those hammers need to be replaced. Does anyone have a different take on this?
Look at the plastic pins that are part of the hammer, and look at the holes in the hammer combs into which the hammer pins snap. It's go to be one or the other, or perhaps both.
Spot on. if there's excessive movement left-to-right, where a hammer runs into the other, then one of the hammer hinge pins is probably broken off but still in the flange (so it looks fine).