Mahaffey lever

[Ken Burton]

            Thanks, Norm.
                        Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta
                                   kwburton@cadvision.com
-----Original Message-----
From: barre46@ibm.net <barre46@ibm.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Friday, January 22, 1999 11:09 PM
Subject: Re: Mahaffey lever


>Hello Ken,
>
>I'll try to describe how to use the Mahaffey lever for fine tuning. You
used the
>term, "flip the lever" and that gave me the idea of how to describe this.
>
>Hold the tip firmly on the tuning pin with the heel of your hand and use
your
>wrist and fingers to rotate the lever and bump the stop. A hard bump moves
the
>pin more than a soft one (obvious). With practice you can move the tuning
pin in
>very small increments which results in fine tuning. This very same
technique
>will work on grands but it does seem to take more practice.
>
>I hope this makes sense
>
>Norm Barrett
>Memphis, TN
>
>Ken Burton wrote:
>
>>             Fabrizio,
>>
>>             This unusual tuning lever is designed so that the whole head
and
>> tip can rotate 50 or 60 degrees with a solid stopping mechanism at both
ends
>> of the rotation. The handle is often weighted.
>>             You use the lever by holding the handle at or near the head
with
>> the handle pointing upwards (only useable on vertical pianos.) Then, by
>> twisting your wrist, you flip the handle left or right, causing it to
bump
>> against the stops. These impacts cause the tuning pin to turn clockwise
or
>> counter-clockwise.
>>             I have been asking for suggestions about using this type of
>> lever in fine tuning. However, I have not had many responses and my
>> impression is still that this lever is an unlikely prospect for fine
tuning.
>> I am working on an electric impact tuning lever but the development
process
>> is moving very slowly.
>>                         Ken Burton "Doctor Piano" Calgary Alberta
>>                                    kwburton@cadvision.com
>>
>> >
>
>