agraffes: just warm..

[A440A@aol.com]

 Greetings;

Barrie writes;

> Your method of reeming
>sounds quite interesting.  However, one part does concer me you say you
>keep the drill going and do the full set.  Does this not cause a
>variation in the accuracy of the reiming due to the heat expansion of
>the reimer,

    I assume that there is some change in the reamer due to heat, however,
 the size variation is a small part of the the clearance dimension, so I have
never given it a second thought.  The holes are already much larger than the
wire,  so I don't think the dimensional change would enter into the equation.


   I would add, that if you begin with a longer piece of wire, you can
actually use the wire like a "flex-shaft" tool, and with a thin cotten glove,
or masking tape covering your hand,  it is very easy to poke it in the holes
quite accurately.

 Jim writes;
>The flattening <snip> is one of retarded, or retrograde,
>progression. In other words it starts out much faster than it ends up.
 <snip>
 > 'If' this theory holds water does it really make sense to ream agraffes ?
>Will not the newly reamed agraffe flatten out again very quickly ? (all
>relative as to how long agraffes take to flatten out) If this Newly reamed
>agraffe is left in the same position as it was before reaming, will it not
soon (again
>relative) develop a higher string height than before the reaming?

     I agree, the most indentation per unit of depth occurs at the very first
moment.  So, just a little metal removed would let the new string do some
work in establishing it's own home.  However, there are other reasons to
resurface the bearing surface than height, ( this reaming only removes a
thousandth or three..)
     What if:   the new topstring is not approaching the back of the agraffe
in exactly the same angle,  or previous tuners  had spread the strings here
and there to mate the damper wedges, etc.  the axis through the bore will be
off.  There is also the possiblity that the agraffe has some corrosion at the
bearing surface.   That famous "lubricity of two different metals" may not be
working for us if there is a surface of oxidation between the wire and
agraffe.  The same considerations for clean termination at the bridge should
apply to the meeting of the string and agraffe.
     The use of a light burnisher/reamer like I described is  much easier
than the  countersink,  or agraffe replacement;  it seems reasonable that
more people would use it, which is an improvement over doing nothing at all.


Just some ramblings out of the shop.
Regards,
Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn