Tuning Pin Size

[John Delacour]

At 8:08 PM -0800 1/23/02, David Love wrote:
>I just finished restringing a couple of older pianos (Schiedmayer, 
>Schomacker).  Both pianos were originally strung with #1 tuning 
>pins.  This was nice since both blocks were good it allowed me to 
>restring with #2's.  I'm curious when/why companies got in the habit 
>of doing the initial stringing with #2's.  The improved tuning 
>quality of a smaller pin would suggest using a #1, as I believe many 
>Japanese makers do.  I know some rebuilders (Dale Erwin) are also 
>stringing new blocks with #1's.  Is there any compelling reason not 
>to use a #1 pin when installing a new block? 

I'm not familiar with American gauges and I gave up using gauge 
numbers after a few months in the trade, since there seemed to be a 
great vagueness about the actual diameters.  Under the old system, #0 
or #00 would be the original size, I think.  However I have found 
most German pianos used either a 6.70 - 6.75 mm. pin or a 6.85 - 6.90 
pin.  Some had a turned thread and some a filed thread.  The evenness 
and sharpness of the thread on the best old pins is not to be found 
on any pin of modern manufacture.  It was most common for makers to 
use a shorter pin (54 - 55 mm) than is generally used nowadays.

I always use a 6.75 mm. pin in a new block and on original blocks I 
am very often able to do the job with a pin 6.90 to 7.00 in diameter, 
provided the piano has not been over-used.  The fact that the many, 
if not most, of the old tuners tuned with a T-hammer, means probably 
that less damage tended to be done by tuners.  The man who taught me 
to tune used a T-hammer on grands till the end of his life!  How he 
managed with Korean pianos, heaven knows.

The French used French-made pins which were even thinner (6.60 mm) 
and a few makers used a tapering pin.  Older Brinsmeads had a pin 
tapering from about 6.75 to 6.50, so it is possible to restring using 
the very smallest cylindrical pin (6.75 mm).

As in so many things, the influence of Steinway practice may have 
raised the size of the original pin.  The unbushed Steinway 
string-plate requires the ise of a longer pin and, to avoid bending, 
a fatter pin is required.

At least that's about how I see it.  I can see no reason for not 
using the smallest pin in a bushed string-plate or an open plank, 
both of which I personally prefer.

Did you have a look at the string tensions on the Schiedmayer?  Frightening!

JD