Shank excess

[Nichols]

At 11:27 AM 6/19/02 -0400, you wrote:
>Hello Guy, how do you accurately get the right radius with your method?
>David Koelzer
>DFW

Hey David,
     With a compass.


Okay, to elaborate on the smart-aleck answer, I use a radius of about 2 
9/16" (unless it's a looooong shank) and place the lead on the top of the 
hammer moulding at the shank. Stab the point into the shank, and draw the 
curve on the side of the hammer. Use a marker to black-out the waste 
portion on a couple of hammers per section. Then just grind until the black 
is gone. This is what I show people to do the first time, after that... 
well.... calibrated eye-balls, y'know. By leaving the stack on, it's easy 
to double-check a sample or two to the backchecks, but... that's extra time 
and effort that's not really needed. It really is pretty easy to eye-ball 
the whole operation. I use this method in the field to clean up bass tails 
on some models (you know) that have angled tails. Piece of cake to give the 
back checks a twist and a slight bend, and... bingo! Squared tails in the 
bass. Gives you "new meat" on the back check, and nicer texture on the 
tail. Can set the checking way up and get a more realistic feel to the 
spring. On those unsquare-bass models, it also reduces the bass hammer 
weight. Nice side benefit.
     If you're not teaching Saturday morning, come by the workshop. Glad to 
fill your hair up with sawdust.
    Special thanks, by the way, to Wally Brooks for the sample hammers we 
chew up during this operation.

See you in a few days,
Guy Nichols, RPT
Ft. Stinkin' Desert, NM