Key feel and performance

[adcurtin]

Now that I've got my wurly electronics working, I've got some questions about the non electronic parts. I've got a few keys that only work some of the time (as in the hammer doesn't strike the reed I think). I've also got a lot of keys that sound louder or softer than others. This is all fixed with capstan adjustments (and the specs for that are in the manual), correct?

I also rebushed the whole piano; all the keys work pretty well, but some are loose. Any tips for properly easing the keys to have them feel tight but not be too tight to function?

Cheers

[pianotuner steveo]

I recommend adjusting the let off first. It sounds like some of your hammers are pulling away (letting off) way too soon. After that is corrected, the volume difference may be lessened on some keys. If not, then you may need to find the sweet spot in the reed bar (usually the treble end)

I just ordered more let off wrenches today, they will be back on ebay in a few days.

key easing makes them looser, not tighter.

[adcurtin]

So I've finally decided to tackle this after just playing the piano for a while.

I've looked at the manual, it looks like I'm supposed to adjust the lost motion to 1/32" (with the lower capstan) then adjust the letoff to 1/8 ± 1/32" (with the upper capstan [if that's what its called]). Do I have to do this in that order? is there a trick to being able to tell if keys in the middle of the piano are adjusted correctly?

Would taking off the dampers before I adjust hese, and adjusting them with the dampers off be a bad idea? It seems like that would give me a much easier way to tell if they're properly adjusted.

Cheers.

[pianotuner steveo]

 Yes do it in that order, but there is no need to remove the dampers. A strong flashlight is sufficient for seeing.

Also, I prefer to adjust the let off slightly greater than that. Increasing let off reduces reed breakage, but too much let off makes the keys harder to play with a light touch.

[adcurtin]

Adjusted all the lost motions. Not a single key had the proper amount, and some even had "negative" lost motion. More than 10 keys had the butt over an eighth of an inch off the butt rail. That's probably why I had keys that didn't work.
I also think I misadjusted some of them, because now I get some clicking. Whoops, gonna be fun to tear it down to work on that again. At least it's just a few. I won't have to go very far into it. The first time I went so far as to take off the reed bar. Glad I did, since all of them were so far out of adjustment.


I started to adjust the let offs, but I'm not very good at it. pretty much all of them are between 1/4" and 1/8", and I tried to adjust the ones outside that to that. Even with the dampers off, I still had a difficult time gauging where the let off actually was. Any tricks for this, or just do as the manual says?

thinking about it after the fact, it seems like if I kept the fly from moving forward while I pressed the key, that would show me the let off, and probably be a lot easier for me than the method in the manual.

[pianotuner steveo]

Actually, 'negative  lost motion' is a common adjustment error in upright pianos also.

It can take several passes to get the let off correct. Just always remember that a little more let off (hammer drops slightly sooner) helps to REDUCE reed breakage.

On your next pass, just concentrate on the hammers that are obviously dropping either waaay too soon, or too late.

Also, clicking noises are usually caused by either a missing piece of felt or,believe it or not, loose flange screws. Check the screws first.

[adcurtin]

Yeah the manual says do 1/4" to save reeds as well, so that's what my target will be when (/if) I go through the let offs again. Luckily none of them seem to be way off (there might've been one or two before, but I moved those to be not so bad).

As for the clicking, it seems to be on the highest 8 keys plus a couple more. It seems like I adjusted something wrong. All of my felts are there (I was missing one before, I ordered a new hammer for that), and all the screws should be tight (I took all the actions out and lubricated all the action centers last summer).

[pianotuner steveo]

Like I said before, clicking is usually caused by loose screws. Cold dry weather and dry hot air furnaces or wood stoves can shrink the wood and cause this....