Let My Hammer Go!

[Wimblees@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-12-28 13:13:50 EST, you write:

>Every couple of weeks I encounter a piano that loves my tuning hammer - that
>is, the pins seem to grab the tip so that it does not slip off easily. The
>extra motion to reach down and pull the tip loose wastes time and has to be
>done gingerly so as not to disturb the pin setting.  It does not appear to
be
>associated with a tight fit, as there is usually a little wobble even so.
> Could it be the effect of wear over the past 40 years (Hale hammer and tip
>from about 1955)?  Powdered teflon in the tip does no good.



Even though the problem only happens on some piano, it could  be a cracked
tuning tip head. I had the problem you mentioned, but only on some pianos,
and not others. I looked very closely at the tip, and discovered a small
hairline crack. What effect it had I am not sure, but when I changed tips,
the problem went away.

I am guessing that because of the crack, the tip became "out of round", or
"out of star". In other words, to tip wasn't exactly a star shape any more,
and I gues this was causing the tip to get stuck on the pins. Like I said,
just guessing, but the problem went away when I changed tips.

Willem Blees  RPT
St. Louis