What is "Flagpoling?"

[Kenneth W. Burton]

	Guy,

	That just goes to show ya--I though I had come up with something
new. What's the old saying...there's nothing new under the sun?

	I, too, am very concerned that the tuning tip goes all the way
down to the coil. Sometimes, this is deceptive though. Even if the tip
rests close to the coil, the gripping point is near the end of the pin. I
found that I can ascertain this problem by rocking the tip and watching
for the center of rotation. If the tip is not gripping at its mouth, I try
another one. I carry about six with me.
	I also use extra short heads with various angles. I feel that they
give a more positive transfer of energy from the hammer to the pin. For
grands, the 15 degree angle works great. For uprights, it depends on the
overhang of the lid. I prefer the 5 degree angle if the lid allows.
	I choose a tip that fits snugly. To me, it seems to aid the
Rebound which I try to use on every piano. With grands, the finger slap
doesn't work, so I use the heel of my hand. I can't achieve quite the same
instant release of the blow but it still works very well.
	Of course, as you know, every piano is different. (That's why I
titled my book, DIFFERENT STROKES) So, I try to keep a whole vocabulary of
techniques fresh and useable. Some pianos demand the use of a Steady Pull.
Others with Type C conditions (the pin moves before the string--
Heintzmans, Mason & Risch, etc) require some tricks. Sometimes, Snap It Up
works. I pull the pin until it feels that it has turned the correct
amount, although because of the excessive friction at the v-bar, the pitch
has not come up to exact. So, I flip the handle clockwise to give a jerk
to the string. If the pin has been turned to the correct position, the
string will come up to proper pitch and will stay.
	I guess this is one of the challenges of piano tuning--the variety
of piano conditions which demands versatility in the approach of the
tuner.
	Thanks for listening. I hope something was worthwhile.

	Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta

On Mon, 5 Jan 1998, Guy, Karen, and Tor Nichols wrote:

> 
> Newton is not here.
> 
> At 05:56 AM 1/4/98 -0700, you wrote:
> >
> >	Guy,
> >
> >	I guess I need to ask another question. Is the tuning pin
> >sufficiently tight? As long as the pin is tight and is not touching
> >anything else, we should be able to set it, though you may need that tip
> >with the paper thin sides.
> 
> Ken,
> 	Although it's hard to be absolutely sure that the pin is tight only in the
> block, in other words, not influenced by friction with it's neighbors or
> wires that are deflected around it, I'd have to say yes, the overall block
> condition leads me to believe the pin is tight. (THAT was a weird sentence!)
> Of course, your qualifier is "not touching anything else", and THAT's the
> rub, isn't it? (excuse the little attempt) The touching problem is why I
> tried the light tap on the end of the pin. I didn't feel like I needed to
> re-set the pin in the block... I just needed to make sure it wasn't
> hanging-up on any thing else.
> 
> 
> >	I have been experimenting with a new technique which I call Bump
> >And Rebound. To use it, I pull the pin so that the pitch is somewhat above
> >the final spot. Then, with stiff fingers and hand, I gently slap the
> >hammer handle in a counter-clockwise direction. With each slap, I withdraw
> >my hand quickly so that the pin can some to its own resting place. The
> >theory is that if the pin and string find their own place of stability,
> >the pin torsion and bend and the string equalization will be accurate and
> >the string will stay well in tune. It works great for me.
> 
> Yup, forget who showed me that one twenty years ago, but it's been working
> for me in most cases (uprights) for that long, at least. It's one of the
> reasons I prefer a number 3 tip. I also find the #3 better for all the BPO
> snuggies I tune. Lets me get all the way down to the coil, and leaves
> enough "slack" for a little impromptu "impact" tuning.
> 
> >
> >	Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta 
> 
> 
> Guy Nichols
> 
> 
>