Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum Attn Rebuilders: Pounding in machine

Rebuilders -
I have been thinking about developing and building a simple pounding in machine. It would really be advantageous for a shop to have a machine that pounds every key about 20-30,000 times after regulation and first voicing, to stabilize the tuning, bring action and key felts to the state of compression they will eventually attain, pound in the voicing etc. Then fine regulate, tune and voice and you can send the piano out to the client and not have to worry about major changes in the first months of playing.

This is what factories do, and it makes real sense. Would there be a market for such a machine? What would it be worth to a rebuilding shop?

I've been thinking of making my own. Mason & Hamlin has a nice machine based on a series of cams. Never gotten around to it to this point. I figure it would take me about two days of labor to build once I get the design on paper. Parts wouldn't be that big an expense. So it would have to cost less than the two days labor it would take to build myself????

I use a Playola that works great. I have a disk I play at night that pounds in the notes for 10 hours.
What I like is it also plays music during the day.
I have over 5000 songs on disks.

I paid $1,500 for a used one and felt it was worth every bit of that.

I've thought about it for years! It's a great idea Jurgen.

Rod - do they still make Playolas?

Okay, it´s not the same like a machine, but it helps to work all new felts (excepted the hammer felts)and leather with a hammer. Just pounding them with a hammer on the work bench.

Gregor

Just bring your niece's and nephews under the age of five over, they always like to pound on mine when they visit....

Anybody have a picture of one that piano manufactures use? All I can think of is that scene from Barbarella!

Sign me up..

Sally

Here is a video:

http://www.wendl-lung.com/jart/prj3...id=1225437990106&reserve-mode=active

Gregor

Thanks, Gregor!

Hey everyone, there is a model of an upright action with a true repetition lever on that site!

Here's the model mentioned by Jeff:



Do you think that action could be troublesome?

I think so. I've been using one for about 15 years now.

ddf

Unright or Erus,

You should really start a new thread with that action model. To me, it looks like it would be difficult to regulate, especially drop and let-off. I think the Fandrich action is simpler, easier to regulate and more elegant.

Yep, PianoDisc makes them. Way to much money for what we need them for.

They do?

ddf

I believe it was a QRS product, not Pianodisc. I don't see it on the website currently.

Sorry I meant QRS

http://www.pianosupply.com/playola/

Yeah, $4200 is a chunk of change. You could hire a lot of child labor for that amount.

This one is for sale on ebay. Still $3,000.00

Jurgen, I'm certainly interested, but don't go into production for me! I am getting started at rebuilding, and expect to be full time when I retire from my current job in about 5 years. Anyway I'd think every rebuilder needs one. Priorities and money are the thing. I'd think that you need to come in at less than $1000 - $1500. More than that and this inventive crowd will probably be in the DIY camp. Just my guess.