Helpinstill Roadmaster stuck keys (newbie)

[mattorduncan]

Hey gang,

Been in love with EPs since I was a kid, had a couple of loaner Wurlies that I wish I could have kept... but I finally own one, an oddball gem, the Helpinstill Roadmaster 64. Apologies, this is my first time working on any kind of keyboard, so terminology and etc will be bad.

Long story short, it's in pretty damn good condition for a mostly forgotten keyboard, but there are a few issues. It'll probably be a long road, but the most vital thing right now is all the sticking keys.

I'm guessing there are a few ways to address this, and correct me if I'm taking the wrong approach, but the simplest solution I can see right now is making the pins that connect the keyboard and hammer action "longer." Most of keys seem to be returning to a neutral position quickly enough, but the plastic nut on the end of the pins isn't allowing the connecting rod to go down far enough to quickly mute. (I've attached a photo of the spot I'm talking about.)

Is it important for these lengths to be precise or can I just overshoot a bit in length by turning the plastic screws?

Would it work to simply lower the entire keybed with a thinner piece of wood or thinner felt? Or somehow raise the entire hammer action?

Is the difficulty in turning the individual nuts just old rusty screws or are they not meant to be adjusted at the top? (I'm guessing the former. Is there some kind of lubricant I could spray in that wouldn't melt the plastic?)

Anyway, let me know if I'm getting this all wrong!

Many many thanks,
Matt

[bourniplus]

Hi, I'm not very familiar with the Helpinstill but I believe it's close to a typical drop-action.

You might want to call a piano tuner-technician to help you with your action problems. If some keys don't return to their rest position easily, it may be that the key bushings are tight and should be eased. It could also be tight center pins elsewhere in the action.