Excessive lateral movement of piano keys

The cashmere felts of the front key bushings (mortises) certainly need to be replaced, and perhaps those of the central keys as well. The price depends on the quality of the cashmere, which must be good, and on the method of intervention. This procedure must be carried out using hot caulking (spacers that hold the gluing of the new felts in place), just like the factory process. This offers the advantage of having perfectly parallel felted walls and maximum smoothness with minimum play. The quality of the cashmere also affects the result and, above all, the durability.

hi, i'm stefano

i wondered how correct it is to rotate the wippen points to recover the lateral play of the keys and, after various experiences, I concluded that it depends on the case. when the instrument is prestigious and its owner is willing to spend, the correct and philological maneuver is to replace the felt, which is also a long job; in other cases, however, at the technician's discretion, using a specific tool that does not damage the surface, one can rotate the points until the aforementioned play disappears. I also experimented with another system, suggested to me by a technician, which consists of tapping the sole with a small hammer until the same result is obtained. I abandoned this practice when I realized that the play disappeared thanks to the compression of the wood and the thing seemed too invasive and not long-lasting to me. considering how the points are made and how easy they are to rotate, it makes me think that those who designed them had foreseen their rotation, and I conclude by noting that such an operation, although risking the spacing between the keys, is non-invasive and reversible.

greetings

Never strike the sole!!!!!!! You risk modifying the size of the sole and therefore finding yourself in a bad situation when changing the cashmere....but how do they come up with these things???!!!!

Turning the points is fine, but it shortens the lifespan of the cashmere which is, in this case, stressed by a less flat portion of the pin.

You can recheck the spacing by tilting the oval point itself towards the right or left using a specific tool (WITHOUT DAMAGING THE POINTS).

hi, I can tell you that he is a renowned technician but not for this reason immune to erroneous beliefs, apparently. Or perhaps he wanted to resolve it quickly to get rid of me as soon as possible. Fortunately (sometimes unfortunately) I am distrustful and not inclined to accept information without critical thinking, without comparing it with my experience and, why not, sensitivity.

I take this opportunity to thank you again

Stefano