Stuck Hammer

[WurlieNewbie]

Hey guys.  New to the site, hoping you can help with a minor adjustment.

I just picked up a Wurlitzer 200 and noticed that when striking the 2nd lowest G# key, the hammer gets stuck and won't fall down again.  I have to gently tap the hammer for it to fall back down into place.  The actual G# key is fine and isn't sticky.  It's just the hammer that's the problem. And it only happens if I strike the note hard.  When pressing the key softly, the hammer rises and falls as it should.

I read about adjusting the capstan screw with that special wrench but wondered is this a problem with lost motion or letoff?  Each of these has their own screw, correct?  I just wanted to make sure that I adjust the right screw and not mess with something that ain't broken.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[Jenzz]

Hi .-)

There is one of the crossbars between G and G# in the aluminum reedframe, so maybe the hammer is touching the crossbar?

Jenzz

[WurlieNewbie]

Thanks for the reply, Jenzz.  I'll look to see if the hammer is touching the crossbar.  If it is, how would I go about adjusting the hammer away from the crossbar? Thanks.

[pianotuner steveo]

With the power OFF, ( better yet, unplugged) gently, and I mean gently, nudge the hammer away from the crossbar with a thin screwdriver. If that solves the problem, then eventually you will need to loosen the hammer mounting screw, align the hammer away from the crossbar,  then tighten it. If you are really lucky, a gentle nudge may solve the issue for a long time..

No, this does not sound like a Letoff issue, and has nothing to do with lost motion.
One more thing to check- does that key press down deeper than the others?

[WurlieNewbie]

Thanks Steveo for the reply.  Visually inspecting the hammer in question, it appears there's a big enough gap between the hammer and the crossbar - it doesn't look like it's rubbing against it or anything.  And if I lightly touch the hammer once its stuck in the up position, it immediately falls back down. It's not like its wedged against the crossbar.

Could there be anything else causing this other than the crossbar?  You mentioned something about the key pressing down deeper?

[DocWurly]

It could be key dip.  The big green felt washer might need a shim under under it.

[pianotuner steveo]

Yes, I asked if the key dip is deeper than the other keys, did you check that? If so, do what Docwurly said..

If that's not it, the tip of the jack could be getting caught in the felt on the bottom of the hammer/whip. The felt could possibly be partly unglued.

[marcmarc]

Hi,
I'm a new 200A owner and I'm very happy to have such a ressource as this forum!
I hijack this thread a little bit since I have a hammer which is definitely stuck on a crossbar (highest C#) and needs to be lowered manually when stuck.

@Steveo: you said "you will need to loosen the hammer mounting screw, align the hammer away from the crossbar,  then tighten it"
Could you precise which screw is it please? I don't find it mentioned in the service manual.
Thanks

[WurlieNewbie]

2nd that for me too!  You were right Steveo and Jenzz.  Upon closer inspection, the hammer is definitely touching the crossbar (I was looking in the wrong place before!).  The key doesn't dip deeper than the others so I'm thinking the crossbar has to be culprit.

I did what you suggested Steveo and nudged the hammer away from the crossbar and it has worked. Sporadically.  I'm think eventually I'll have to realign the hammer.

Is there an easy way to loosen the hammer mounting screw and align it away from the crossbar WITHOUT have to remove the whole hammer assembly, etc?

Thanks guys.

[pianotuner steveo]

Unfortunately, getting at the screw to do this simple repair is the hard part. The story of my life with acoustic pianos also! The screw is at the back of the hammer assembly and it faces up towards the top of the piano. The problem is the dampers and the reed bar are in the way. Later today, I will send a picture of the exposed screw in question to Cormac so that he can post it.

[pianotuner steveo]

You may be able to loosen the reed bar half that is causing this and slightly bump the reed bar away from the hammer that is sticking, but the issue may come back once you tighten the reed bar screws.


Thanks Cormac! These are the hammer mounting screws.

[marcmarc]

Thanks Steveo, I will try that tomorow!

[marcmarc]

@Steveo

You may be able to loosen the reed bar half that is causing this and slightly bump the reed bar away from the hammer that is sticking, but the issue may come back once you tighten the reed bar screws.

And you're right! I've loosened the reed bar and not even bumped it. After i've tightened it back the hammer doesn't get stuck anymore.
Thanks

[pianotuner steveo]

Awesome!