2 Unusual Happenings

[Mike Bratcher]

My tuning hammer broke last week too.  I purchased a replacement and used
the metal parts off the damaged hammer to make my own.  It took a while to
turn down the new square stock.  Now I have a custom built hammer and a good
back up.

Mike Bratcher
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sy Zabrocki" <only4zab@imt.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 5:56 PM
Subject: 2 Unusual Happenings


> Last Saturday I was tuning along in my shop when MY TUNING HAMMER BROKE.
> The extension shaft broke right at the threads where it screws into the
> lever head.
>
> Then on Tuesday, three days later, I was tuning with another hammer when
the
> NO. 2 STAR TIP BROKE IN TWO. One half flaked off and other half popped off
>  the threads when I pushed on it with my finger. I couldn't believe it.
>
> It's probably unlikely that either of these tools would break in a
lifetime.
> What are
> the odds that both would break for one person in a three day period. I
> wondered
> if it was some mystic message for me. Maybe I should stay home for few
days.
>
> This Hale rosewood tuning hammer was given to me in 1970 after another
tuner
> had died. So I've used it or 32 years and I don't know how long he used
it.
> I can only guess it broke because of "metal fatigue".
>
> I'm estimating this hammer visited probably 7 or 8 million pins and then
> this one
> pin on a Kimball blew it away. It's like it had a heart attack and died.
>
> Just when you think you've seen it all . . . you haven't.
>
> Sy Zabrocki--RPT
> Billings, MT
>
>
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