After engaging in mortal combat with the newly restored action, I have won the battle, bringing the Stodart several steps closer to perfect playing condition.
The action presented a host of problems to be solved, including badly warped keys, twisted keyframe, sluggish jacks, and of course, several shanks and hammers which needed to be fabricated and replaced.
One of the most perplexing problems, however, involved the upward bowing of the rear keyframe rail.
The combination of the shift return spring's constant pressure on the keyframe and the shift pedal toggle's pulling and lifting of the keyframe resulted in the rail's developing a permanent, upward arch.
This condition required the installation of an additional "hold down" bracket, fastened to the lower rail of the damper action, just to the left of center of the rear keyframe rail.
In an earlier post, I suggested that the missing ivories were the
least of this action's various problems.
That suggestion proved to be quite true.
