Re; Help to reduce hammer shanks

[A440A@aol.com]

Avery asks;

>Could someone give me some fairly explicit instructions on the best way
>to thin some new treble hammer shanks

This is one way that works for use with a drill press;

     1.  Place two fences on the drill press, chuck up a sanding drum and
lock the spindle in place between them so that there is approx. 1 mm of
exposure past the fence.
     2.   Prepare a wooden block to hold the hammer shank even with the
blocks edge,  I  use four drywall screws to form a "cage" on a piece of scrap
for the shank to ride on.  One at each end, and two behind, though you must
avoid placing your index stop behind where the shank is to be thinned.  Go
ahead and sand the middle section off the side of this "carriage"  under the
area where the shanks will ride.  The unsanded ends of the carriage will be
the bearing surface to the fence.

     3.   Use two stop blocks on the fence to limit the lateral motion along
the shanks length,  as you will want them all to be the same.  ( I suppose?)
     4.   holding the shank down firmly, press it slowly into the drum, and
sand off one side,  then flip the shank over and do the other.


     It goes quick,  you may vary the exposure to achieve any desired
thinning,even a tapered amount is easily worked out with shims.  Renner
reduces their shanks from .240" to .190"  if that helps as a starting point.

Regards,
Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville.