Posted by: Kenneth Almquist
Removing Acrosonic spinnet action - 04/23/06 01:55 AM
I have an Acrosonic spinnet built back in the 1940's (serial number 340769), and I'm trying to figure out how to remove the action. The tops of the drop rods are held in place by a wooden rail which I unscrewed from the frame and removed. The top of the action is attached to the sound board by four metal posts. I unscrewed the knobs on the posts, and was then able to pull the action away from the soundboard.
I would have thought that it would be possible to lift the action out of the piano at that point, but it looks like one of the metal posts is in the way. Three of the posts are not a problem: the posts at the end of the piano are beyond the ends of the dampers, and one of the posts is above a gap in the dampers. The post above where the strings cross is the problem, because there is no gap in the dampers at that point. Because the keyboard is in front of the action, I don't think that it is possible to move the action forward far enough for the dampers to clear the post.
I've thought about removing a few of the dampers or tying them back with string, but I'd rather not improvise here. So I'd be grateful if someone would tell me the standard procedure for removing the action on this instrument.
Thanks.
I would have thought that it would be possible to lift the action out of the piano at that point, but it looks like one of the metal posts is in the way. Three of the posts are not a problem: the posts at the end of the piano are beyond the ends of the dampers, and one of the posts is above a gap in the dampers. The post above where the strings cross is the problem, because there is no gap in the dampers at that point. Because the keyboard is in front of the action, I don't think that it is possible to move the action forward far enough for the dampers to clear the post.
I've thought about removing a few of the dampers or tying them back with string, but I'd rather not improvise here. So I'd be grateful if someone would tell me the standard procedure for removing the action on this instrument.
Thanks.