Saturday, March 12, 2011

Starting on Keyboard work

Back to the Keyboard. Where to start? There are stuck keys, keys with no response, doubles... a lot to learn! I decided to make copies of the keyboard diagram and make notes.

Hopefully I'd discover a pattern that would allow me to focus on a particular area: key levers, key bars, cams, key reeds, escapements and magazines. If I couldn't decipher a pattern, I would at least get a better idea of the positioning and relationship of keys to key reeds, and which rows / key levers activated key cams on the front cam frame or the back frame. It was a fun exercise.

Unfortunately it revealed that there were a lot of problems and that there wasn't exactly a pattern. I did decide that a majority of keys that triggered the front key cams had problems, mainly slow response. Probably due to worn or glazed rubber. But there were also classic examples of sticking key bars (multiple mats dropping), etc. I was looking forward getting started. Keyboard work seemed to be methodical and slow going. There are a lot of small parts which have to be kept in order. It was the kind of work that offered a meditative order that was welcomed after long days of computer pre-press, printing and working to meet customers' often tight deadlines.

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