Music Trade Review

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TECHNICAL^SUPPLY DEPARTMENT
William Braid White, Technical Editor
Broadwood Barless Plate—A Practical
Action Idea—A Grand Regulation Problem
Correspondents of The Review Technical Editor Bring Up Some Interesting Ques-
tions of Piano Technique—And the Editor Thinks About Something
EADERS will remember how, some
weeks ago, I touched upon the very in-
teresting and bold experimental work
done by the late H. J. T. Broadwood, of Lon-
don, which culminated in his "barless" steel
plate for pianos. For many years the Broad-
wood house was celebrated for its barless
grands and only very recently has abandoned
them, much to the regret of many like myself.
Now comes corroboration of the remarks
made in The Review of July 23, from A.
Brooker, Cheviot, O., who was at one time a
bellyman in the Broadwood shop in London,
and who, therefore, certainly knows what he
is talking about. In his most interesting letter
he says:
"Your article of July 23 dealing with the
Broadwood barless grand is of more than pass-
ing interest to me, as I bellied the first one that
was made. To me at that time it seemed the
ultimate of piano construction, both in appear-
ance and acoustics, and I have often wondered
why it has not been adopted by manufacturers
in this country. Maybe patents have hindered.
"There is no doubt whatever, in my mind,
that a casting of the same composition as we
use here would not be as satisfactory as the
mild steel used by them, even if its structure
were technically correct. There was a feature
in their plate that gave it strength that was
not visible when the piano was strung, and
that was the amount of metal that was em-
ployed at the rim. I cannot, at this late date,
give you the exact amount. The agraffe used
in the piano at that time was also different to
any I have ever seen here. It had a rest for
the strings in front, which in later years were
made in one piece. This, to my mind, had
distinct advantages, in which you might concur
with me. It kept the strings level at the
damper and striking point, a feature that
is most desirable in grands, especially as the
double hitching of stringing is used most ex-
tensively here. This agraffe had the rest in
front a little higher* than the hole the string
passed through, so that it always laid solid on
the rest, at the same time this not being enough
to cause it to stick or jerk in tuning. This
agraffe would be ideal for using on bridges, as
it would take care of any possible buzzing or
rattle at that point."
A sketch by Mr. Brooker shows that the
Broadwood barless steel plate carried as a
special feature a very thick section through
its body metal at the point where the outside
edge turns up from the flat of the plate. Mr.
Brooker says that the plate was two and one-
half inches thick at this point all around. The
Broadwood barless grands that I have seen
are apparently all constructed just fn this way,
an v d, as I explained in thc : previous article,
shew this heavy turned-up flange all around the
rim of the plate. This rim, of course, would
be in tension everywhere save on the lines
where it would run roughly parallel with the
R
Punchings
Washers
Bridle Straps
5814-37th Aye.
lowest bass and the highest treble strings.
The metal along these two lines would take,
of course, the shape of the usual bass and treble
bars, which are in compression.
I have always believed in the barless system
and am sure that it can be adapted to con-
temporary American use to very great
advantage. But there are many points to be
considered, not the least important being that
of the type of metal to be used. Mr. Brooker
rightly stresses that point and he is right, too,
about the double-duty agraffe.
Any further information that Mr. Brooker
or anyone else can give me on the subject will
be gratefully received, and I especially hope
that Mr. Brooker, as a piano maker of the old
school, will now from time to time tell us
something more of his experiences and ideas.
For instance, a letter from him on bellying as
done on Broadwood grands years ago would
be most interesting and useful.
A Practical Action Idea
R. S. Sinclair, Hiawatha, Kan., comes for-
ward with something in the way of a practical
grievance and a suggestion toward its removal.
Says he:
"I wish to suggest an improvement in piano
actions. The smooth iron pin which is fitted
into the top end of the dowel which connects
the damper rod with the trap work is a great
nuisance to piano owners and tuners, on ac-
count of its habit of working out of place.
"This trouble often happens in electric pianos
and player-pianos, compelling the tuner to re-
move the whole action in order to remedy it.
"The difficulty could be completely overcome
by using a slim-bodied one and one-half inch
screw, minus its head but with the end slotted
for the screwdriver. Let such a screw be in-
serted to a depth of three-fourths inch and let
the remaining length protrude. During thirty-
four years of experience as a tuner I have
often eliminated the trouble described by cut-
ting down screws and using them in this man-
ner.
"I shall greatly appreciate your giving this
suggestion to piano manufacturers through
your excellent department in The Review."
Fixes SCRATCHES, MARS, HOLES, Etc.
CAMPBELL'S Stick Shellac
The quickest, easiest way to perma-
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>
THE M. L. CAMPBELL COMPANY
1008 West Eighth Street
George W. Braunsdorf, Inc.
Direct Mnniilnriurer* of
TUNERS' TRADE SOLICITED
Kansas City, Mo.
Grand Regulation
Albert Caulfield, Lancaster, Pa., wishes to
know whether the hammer shanks of grand
pianos are supposed to rest upon the cushions.
In the usual type of grand action (Steinway,
Wessell, Nickell & Gross, etc.) each wippen car-
ries a felt cushion standing immediately below
the hammer shank near the hammer end. When
the action is properly regulated the shank
stands a very little more than one-eighth inch
above the cushion.
Some actions, on the other hand, are made
with a continuous cushion rail, adjusted so that
the hammers rest upon it when they are proper-
ly regulated for height, just as they rest against
the hammer rail of the upright action.
Speaking of grand actions reminds me that Mr.
Brooker, Cheviot, O., from whom I quoted
copiously above, remarks also thaf he finds
many grand pianos badly regulated as to touch.
He finds that the keys have been weighted,
in order to make the touch light, so much as
to interfere with the repetition. I can quite
believe this.
Readers who arc in need of information on
the whole subject of grand regulating will find
it treated thoroughly in a very able paper by
E. S. Wcrolin, of the American Piano Co.,
during the convention of the Technicians'
{Continued on page 23)
William Braid White
Associate, American Society of Mechanical
Engineers; Chairman, Wood Industries
Division, A. S. M. E.; Member, American
Physical Society; Member, National Piano
Technicians' Association.
Consulting Engineer to
the Piano Industry
Tonally and Mechanically Correct Scales
Tonal and Technical Surveys of Product
Tonal Betterment Work In Faetoriei
References
to manufacturers of unquestioned
position in industry
For particulars,
address
209 South State Street, CHICAGO
Piano Tuners
Also—Felts and
Cloths, Furnished
In Any Quantity
Woods.de, L. 1., N. Y.
21
What Mr. Sinclair says is only too true.
During a number of years spent—for my sins,
I suppose—as a tuner in big cities, small cities,
just plain cities, big towns, ordinary towns,
villages, hamlets and the open country, I have
had about as much cause as Mr. Sinclair has
had to complain of superintendents allowing a
dowel to be placed between trap work and
damper lifter rod on upright pianos in such a
manner as to insure its falling away from its
proper place the moment the action is lifter!
out. Of course the right method is to secure
the dowel rod in a socket fastened to the
inside of the upright case. If this is properly
done there is no need to have any pin or other
arrangement between the top of the rod and
the damper lift. A piece of felt to absorb
friction and silence the noise of contact is alone
necessary. One can always tell a good piano
by its trap work.
and
Technicians
are In demand. The trade needs tuners, regu-
lators and repairmen. Practical Shop School.
Send for Catalog M
Y. M. C. A. Piano Technicians School
1421 Arch St.
Philadelphia, Pa.