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I've been "renovating" the action on my 1965 Steinway D. It was in poor state but not beyond reviving. I could keep the whippens and hammers but knuckles were flat and backchecks worn through to the red felt. When I bought it I noticed that new ivory was fited, Cites and all. But the job hasn't been completed as the sides and at the front it had square edges. It was easy to get fingers stuck and even get hurt. Also the tops where very slightly wider than the wood. So I worked maybe 10 days to make every key a bit wider using super glue. I got great results, but I used 8-10 grits from 120 to 5000. Totally insane I suppose, but they came out smoother than a...well, no need to overemphasize. There is a color difference but I like it. It tells about my work. Also, I rounded the edges copying or emulating the look of the keys of a Yamaha C7 and a Steinway O. Did all this by hand, of course.
A while ago I had cleaned the action frame, felts, pins, backrail felt. Then I changed all backchecks with new but kept the old wires. Backchecks removal took a whole day, maybe 10 hours. I have no jigs to do it fast using power tools. So I put some bits of wood in a vice to hold the backchecks and rotated the key.
Now the crazy part. On the 20th of December I decided I will rebush all shanks. 88. It took a whole day to have done 8 shanks. 3 were good. I am a doctor in bushing now. Pity I'll never do this again, not for anything in the world. I was finished after 29 days. Sometimes from 6 in the morning until 4-5 in the afternoon. I made a lot of experiments with alcohol and water, different pin sizes, drying with hot air or leaving until next day. A lot of birdseyes to resize with glue too. After I had done all I could see that 35 were no good. Trying to save material I used bits that were too thin by repeatedly threading through the holes. So the centerpiins were on one side. But now I was an expert, so I attacked the task. Every day I said, today I put back the hammers. But in the evening, ok, tomorrow. It went like this for two weeks.
Finally, done! I don't give a... that some swing 4 times, other 8 or 10. That's it, I've had it.
Next, new knuckles. Three days. On the 4th day I put glue on the sides of the knuckles, as I didn't use enough glue from the begining. Glue is expensive! Moron!
Now everything is back in the piano. I read again tons on regulation and proceeded.

Sorry, I fall asleep while writing. To be continued...

Jinorden,

Wow! You certainly do have a persistent spirit. It sounds like that piano has been eaten to death. Keep up the good work!

Pwg

Awesome write up. Post some photos when you can please.

Congratulations on your persistence! Persistence is a prime component of success.

However, are there any Technicians near enough to you to get some tutelage on tasks?

Also, the single most important skill for a Piano Technician to have is knowing what work is needed to make a piano perform and endure well.

The foundation for this is supreme skill in tone regulation.

That is why there are so few truly great piano technicians.

Thanks newer player
Yes, I will post pictures, cause if someone else wrote that but no pictures I'd say it's bs.
I hesitated for a while to write about what I'm doing because it might look like I'm mighty proud of myself and fishing for praise from the real technicians. I'm really not, and rather expected some ''I told you so'' reactions or ''You're over your head''.

Thanks Ed! About other technicians, this is Sweden, people are not so open to things that look like a complication.
On the other hand I have been studying for 11 years or more, did repair jobs and tuned for people, churches and my own pianos. I'm a pianoplayer with a great love for the instrument and know a lot, but not a real technician.

I wrote that the action was in a poor state. I realized it can be misinterpreted as meaning the piano was. No, the piano is in great condition. but someone really played on it hard. Knuckles, backchecks and hammers, very worn. But I like the way the hammers sound, especially last two upper sections. So my plan was to preserve the sound but fix stuck notes (flat knuckles), edgy keys, friction problems, improve regulatiion, in other words improve playability. No way can I take it from scratch and come up with a great instrument.
Today will post pictures and some audio. But I've been changing front rail punchings and fidling with letoff, drop and aftertouch, therefore some hammers bobble, some tend to block on strings, tuning problems here and there. Still, sounds great in it's own way, a bit mufffled in the tenor.

My previous post should have read: "beaten to death" rather than "eaten to death". For some reason my computer "spellcheck" seems to do this sort of thing regularly. Even, it seems, after I post. Probably most realized what I was trying to say though.

I have often found that when I come across a piano that has in fact been beaten (played) intensely, this is usually a sign that it is a very good instrument...somebody REALLY liked it! Looking forward to hearing you play it. 😁

Pwg

I'm just now transfering the pictures I took from the phone to computer. Maybe in 20 minutes up to an hour, I'll upload somewhere so you get links.
I already made some recordings, don't like it yet, I get a bit nervous when I know the whole pianoworld can listen. So I'll do some more takes tonight. Of course I can demonstrate how the piano sounds, some chords, scales, but what's the fun in that?

Here you go:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Lq2AABpQR4W3oD548

Please see last photo. Sostenuto rod on braces on a Hamburg?

Audio coming in a few hours.

Great photos and narrative jinorden. That is a wonderful kitchen BTW.

Thanks new player!

Today from 8 in the morning to maybe 14, with interruptions, I recorded a lot on the Steinway. Everything worthless. But tonight, after some other two hours of playing I'm sure I have some stuff that I can post.
But I have to go through and take some parts that I am not ashamed of and upload somewhere. I'll be touring with a big band until 1 may beginning tomorrow, but I'll take the hard drives and laptop with me. So while I procrastinate I will 100% post as promised, Peter!
The action is not functioning like it should, I have more then 11mm dip, aftertouch is still all over the place, drop is low for the moment to not interfere with letoff so that makes for a more difficult experience once I press rec.

The hammer rail has a crack in it. Hope your touring gig goes well!

Ouch, the flange rail needs to be replaced...

It does not need to be replaced, but it could be.

Yes, when I took the photo I focused on the crack but then I forgot to tell you. I think I can repair it by soldering it. First I leave it and see how it progresses. Worst case, I have to change it. My Steinway O had a whippen rail that was soldered at a wrong angle, enough to give a spread of 109. Couldn't figure out why it felt so bad playing it. I repaired it myself by disassembling and repositioning it, and I'm proud to say it came out very good, not sure you can tell it was worked on.
Thanks everybody for taking the time to check and give feedback.

PS. The O has angled capstans but someone installed whippens with straight heels. At Steinway a few years ago they said it cannot work well like that. But I don't believe it. What do you think? I don't want to drill and plug keys, I hate the look. Rather buy angled heel whippens. Maybe old ones on ebay if they still sell them.

Uhm, how confident are you that this is a Hamburg Steinway? You can PM me the serial number and I can find out, but I wouldn't be surprised if that serial number belongs to a rosewood Steinway O delivered to Uruguay from NY in the 60s.

And: "Finally, done! I don't give a... that some swing 4 times, other 8 or 10. That's it, I've had it."

that's the part you should re-think. That kind of unevenness in friction cannot be regulated away, it will always bother you.

Thanks Ed! I hope that too.

Which one? The photos are of a D. sn ******. It has a bar with monkey something mounted on the braces behind backchecks. I thought only NY modells had it that way.

The O, the one with angled capstans but strait heels is ******, bought from a family in Stockholm. Great instrument too. Hard to imagine any Uruguay connection.

I know, you are right but I'll put new hammers, Abel natural and new shanks eventually. This was for educational purposes.
Have to go, 210 km to drive. Thanks everyone!

I wasn't aware of the O at all, I just gave it as an example of a strange D that I encountered and that this D's fake serial came from an O in Rosewood shipped to Uruguay. I'll check ****** next week.

The Abel replacement for the D is a good idea and altogether it's quite a feat to rework an action the way you did.

Nothing useful to add, but a good D is a wondrous thing. I have a feeling the OP will leave no stone unturned to get it playing well.