Hammer Weight

[stanwood]

Charles Ball writes:

>My understanding is that one gram at the hammer translates roughly to five
>grams at the key.

Yes, and if the strike ratio is 6.0, it translates to 6 grams at the key.

If the ratio is 7.0 it translates to 7.0 grams at the key,

and if it's 8.0 it translates to 8.0 grams at the key.

Modern pianos will have ratios that vary over this range.  High ratio
actions will feel right with low weight hammers.  Low ratio actions will
feel right with high weight hammers.

>I suspect that several factors are at work besides the weight of the
>hammers; one being that even with the factory original hammers, which had
>been much reduced by filing and wear, the action weighed off above
>specifications. Another may have to do with the knuckle placement on the shank.

Perhaps the most significant is the key ratio.

>My point, if there is one, is that there is no panacea for the ills that we
>may experience in the course of action rebuilding.

The panacea is to look at each componant of weight, leverage, and friction
and how they add up as a whole.

>We are truly fortunate to
>have so many fine parts available today, so that we can usually find, at
>least for Steinways, the ideal parts to meet our needs, both in terms of
>touch and tone.

It's not enough...There are many Steinway actions that will not tolerate
modern weight hammers even with parts that have the knuckle farthest out.


            David C. Stanwood Stanwood@tiac.net
            West Tisbury, Massachusetts     USA
            On the Island of  Martha's Vineyard
        http://www.tiac.net/users/stanwood/st&co.htm

"The art in hammer making has ever been to obtain a solid,
 firm foundation, graduating in softness and elasticity toward
 the top surface, which latter has to be silky and elastic in
 order to produce a mild, soft tone for pianissimo playing, but
 with sufficient resistace back of it to permit the hard blow of
 fortissimo playing."                 - Alfred Dolge 1911