Hammer sticks

[Tonewheel]

I don't want to do the wrong thing here. I have 2 upper hammers that don't fall back. It almost seems that a little lubricant might do the trick, but I'm not sure. Here is a photo and the area circled is where I think things are held up, because I can lightly push down on it, and the hammer assembly drops. It sounds gross to say that my fy is sticking on the butt, but (no pun), how do I unstick it?
Thanks,
Dave

PS: I did not entitle myself to"Sparkletop." May be appropriate because of hair loss. But how do I change that?

[velo-hobo]

Have you shrunk and lubricated all the action centers? The one that is visible here for the hammer pivot looks discolored, perhaps rusty or almost like someone has put used motor oil on there as a lubricant. If the action center is sluggish, that could prevent the hammers from falling away completely when releasing the key.

I find it's generally folly to go chasing after action regulation issues if you aren't certain the action is moving freely, all parts are structurally sound, and all screws that hold the flanges to their respective rails are tight.

Of course there are plenty of exceptions, and the quick-n-dirty must be done in the middle of a gig or while on the road. But when I have something on the bench I don't even spend my time on regulating until the mechanical assembly is in a proper state.

Other folks' eye may see other things going on here - or not - just sharing how I'd approach this issue.

[Tonewheel]

Thanks for the rapid and helpful reply.

Southern Alberta is quite dry.

Years ago I ordered Protec CLP which I have stored in the B3 bench along with a small squeeze bottle with a nice, long needle. Since I am not a pro, and am only now getting up enough nerve to try maintenance and repair, I would be grateful for the assumption by others that I am ignorant..

I am hoping not to disassemble, at least for this highest note. If that is possible, where and how would I inject the lubricant, and what other advice would you give? I have found videos that are helpful, and one demonstrated lost motion as one problem that may account for my problem

I am attaching a diagram for this purpose.

Thanks.

[velo-hobo]

Yeah, since the photo seems to show you have clear and direct access to the hammer pivot in question, you can easily lubricate it in situ. I will sometimes shrink/lube action centers without disassembling the components it's more of a touch-up regulation job as opposed to a deeper inspection and overhaul.

I'm not experienced with using protek clp on action centers, rather I use a naptha/silicone fluid mix as described in the service manual. This mix both shrinks the felt (which expand over time from moisture absorption, I believe) to reduce mechanical interference friction while the silicone provides lubrication. I only mention this since I can't speak directly as to how CLP performs or if the use considerations are any different from what I use. YMMV!

Assuming you have a needle applicator, just put the tip right onto the felt bushing that surrounds the metal pin. You shouldn't need much product at all. Gently work the pivot back and forth a bit to ensure the product gets in there and does its thing.

Check to see if there is any noticeable difference before/after both in manually lifting the hammer and then dropping it, and also with normal use of the associated key.

[Tonewheel]

Thanks, so at least these 3 felts?

[velo-hobo]

Sure, all three action centers might play a factor in what you are observing but I'd just start with the one at the top since the hammer butt directly pivots around that point. Then you could move on to the pivots on the whip and fly if you think those are causing any sluggishness. I generally attempt to be methodical in this sort of investigation so I can pinpoint the cause of an issue.

One other thing I forgot to ask is if you're sure the hammer or butt isn't getting hung up on anything along the sides of those parts. Sometimes these can get jammed against part of the harp casting, hardware, or even action parts if they are very close together. A little bit of finesse work with the mounting screws or even some careful, light sanding of the wood parts is sometimes necessary to create enough clearance and resolve this.

Also - you said two hammers were affected by this issue - are they right next to one another or in different areas of the keyboard?

[Tonewheel]

I'll check the sides as best I can.

The highest C is visible, and the next faulty action is the A below it.

Thanks again.

I'll be out of country for a few days and will work on this when I get back. Very helpful.