String breakage

[David ilvedson]

> Date:          Thu, 10 Apr 1997 19:06:22 -0400 (EDT)
> From:          Jon Page <jpage@capecod.net>
> Subject:       Re: String breakage
> To:            pianotech@byu.edu
> Reply-to:      pianotech@byu.edu

> Kuang,
> By 'force' rather than 'torque' are you  _bending_ the pins?
> A big, big mistake.
> Torque is part of the 'setting the pin' process, there is also
> setting the string. I don't think you understand enough to
> be tuning yet (just deriving from your posts).

Hey how about the technician at the school?...

> I think you need to align yourself with a technician who will
> direct you in your persuit rather than formulating your own
> theories and experimenting on school pianos.
> Jon Page
> Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> At 12:45 PM 4/10/97 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >
> >On Thu, 10 Apr 1997, Avery Todd wrote:
> >
> >> Kuang,
> >>
> >>    This is something you should *seriously* consider changing. I don't know
> >> for a fact about that practice causing more broken strings, but it isn't
> >> necessary at all. You introduce a lot of tuning stability problems (which I
> >> believe you mentioned having in one of your earlier posts) and you add a
> >> lot of excessive wear on the tuning pin hole, which will eventually
> >> contribute to loose pin problems.
> >
> >I think loose pin problems could be avoided.  I believe pin holes wear out
> >because of unnecessary forces excerted by the pin holes (don't they only
> >wear as result of years of tunings?).  This is kinda hard to explain
> >though.  If you only apply force ( _not_ torque), then the pin hole wall
> >must apply an opposite force unless your pin is not stationary (here comes
> >Newton's law of mechanics).  However, if you apply a _torque_, then the
> >pin hole wall wouldn't have to oppose any force at all (well, except some
> >friction).  If you constantly apply forces only on a pin, then the
> >diameter of the hole at the top is going to increase (the diameter at the
> >bottom probably won't change at all).  If you want to veryfy this,
> >measure the diameters of a worn pin hole.  How do you know if you are
> >excerting a torque and not force?  Well, hold a tuning pin in the air,
> >and turn it using a hammer.  If the pin stays stationary, then you're
> >excerting a torque.  If not, then you're excerting a force.
> >In reality, this can mean alot of stress for your thumb though :<
> >
> >
> >>    The tuning flat thread was primarily referring to a very slight "bump"
> >> on the pin to break loose any strings that were rusted at the pressure
> >> points. I can see no advantage at all of going a half step flat before
> >> pulling the string back up. But I can see a *lot* of disadvantages of doing
> >> so.
> >>    Just my opinion. Thanks.
> >
> >That's a good point!  Now I can see that it's really not necessary to
> >pull down a half step.
> >
> >>
> >> Avery
> >>
> >> >Ever since I began to tune flat before going up in pitch, more and more
> >> >strings break from tuning, _not_ playing.
> >>
> >> >I broke at least 3 strings while I was tuning last month.
> >> >The reason why so many string broke is because I always tune at least a
> >> >half note flat (100 cents) before going up in pitch (almost always).
> >>
> >> SNIP
> >> >
> >> >Kuang Wang
> >>
> >> _____________________________________
> >> Avery Todd, RPT
> >> Moores School of Music
> >> University of Houston
> >> 713-743-3226
> >> atodd@uh.edu
> >> http://www.uh.edu/music/
> >> _____________________________________
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >Kuang Wang
> >
> >
>
>
>
ilvey, RPT
Pacifica, CA