Impact Hammers

[Ken Burton]

            Joe,

            You're right. I think I must have been asleep when I wrote that
post. I wonder if any of our techs use the Mehaffey impact hammer? If so, I
would like to hear from them how successful they are. Can you do fine tuning
with them?
            Ken
                        Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta
                                   kwburton@cadvision.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Joe & Penny Goss <imatunr@primenet.com>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 8:25 PM
Subject: Re: Dampp-Chasers, was MAJOR peeve


>Hi Ken,
>The Wonderwand is not a impact tuning lever. It works similarly to any
>other tuning lever except that one uses the end of the lever mostly for
>hand contact. The impact lever was I believe a Mahaffe creation and is used
>to bump the pin up or down to pitch through a cam that allows free movement
>of the handle then a sudden bump at the end of the hammer swing.
>Joe Goss
>
>----------
>> From: Ken Burton <kwburton@cadvision.com>
>> To: pianotech@ptg.org
>> Subject: Re: Dampp-Chasers, was MAJOR peeve
>> Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 6:58 PM
>>
>>             Friends,
>>
>>             I'm sure many of you can give me the help I need.
>>             I have been asked to give some tips about using the "impact"
>> tuning lever. (I presume the Wonderwand is what is being asked about.)
>>             However, I never got along very well with this kind of lever
>> and, hence, never discovered the secret tricks to using one. I was left
>with
>> the impression that they are not meant for fine tuning but I'm sure this
>is
>> not a proper evaluation.
>>             Please share your tips on how to do fine tuning with an
>impact
>> hammer, so that I can pass this information along to the tuner who asked
>me.
>>             Thank you for sharing your experience.
>>
>>                         Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta
>>                                    kwburton@cadvision.com
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ron Nossaman <nossaman@SOUTHWIND.NET>
>> To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
>> Date: Tuesday, January 12, 1999 6:00 PM
>> Subject: Re: Dampp-Chasers, was MAJOR peeve
>>
>>
>> >
>> >>
>> >>Although I agree that stats should be part of a system in homes that
>> >>have a heating system, I hope that requiring a humidifier is not on the
>> >>horizon.
>> >>
>> >>I rarely install humdifiers because MOST of the 'complete' systems I
>> >>installed back in the late seventies were not maintained.  Even after
>> >>the light was added, people just didn't want to be bothered watering
>> >>their pianos.  Then there's the question of who is going to be
>> >>responsible for replacing liners and pads on every visit.  This has the
>> >>effect of raising your tuning fee and is hardly a selling point unless
>> >>the piano players are very particular about pitch stability.
>> >>
>> >>Why not encourage the use of bars and a stat to reduce the humidity
>> >>range the piano is exposed to throughout the year?  It isn't as
>> >>effective as the 'complete' system, but it is maintainance-free.
>> >>
>> >>Carl Root, RPT
>> >>
>> >
>> >I agree one hundred percent on all points.
>> >
>> > "First, do no harm"  - Hippocrates -
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Ron
>> >
>> >
>>
>