Solve Excessive Friction:

Friction is a necessary and useful component of piano action mechanics. Too much causes trouble in one direction and too little, trouble in the other. The best balance optimizes performance and the player's control of tone. How much is just right and how is it measured? I have found that for the sum of keys and top action, 17 grams gives the ideal balance between control and freedom, stability and repetition. The fastest and most effective way to observe and calculate this sum employs David Stanwood's concept of balanceweight.

Bedding and Action Elevations:

Two requests for further thoughts came in this week: David Skolnick on "special problems created by a ‘collapsed’ rigid frame" and Alan Eder on "how to determine whether or not the hidden glidebolts protrude the amount that they should before proceeding to bed the other glidebolts?" Each of these points turns attention to action elevations, an under-discussed aspect of piano design.