[CAUT] hammer thickness trimming jig

[Carlos Ralon]

I thought I was the only one with this thick hammer problem from S&S.  I am 
trying to install them on a M and an S. They are just too thick with no room 
for movement.  The model S is a 1970's piano. What is the best "thining" 
method?
Carlos Ralon, RPT
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut at ptg.org>
Cc: "'Pianotech List'" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2008 1:19 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] hammer thickness trimming jig


>
>> Greetings kind folk,
>> I’m hoping that someone out there in cyber land can help me today. I
>> have the task of thickness trimming on some prehung hammers from S&S. The
>> hammers came too thick for the vintage grand I’m working on as there is 
>> not
>> sufficient clearance to allow reliable individual hammer movement.
>> Ordinarily I would do this before hanging hammers but since these are
>> pre-hung …. well I’m a bit stuck. Does anyone know of a jig that could be
>> built that would accommodate trimming with the shanks on? The archives 
>> seem
>> to point to something from Roger Jolly but the posts I read were not
>> conclusive that one exists. Help?!?
>>
>> Greg Newell
>
>
> Hi Greg,
> The easiest way that occurs, and possibly safest, would be to buy or make 
> something like this http://www.specialtytuners.com/sanding_disk.html and 
> do them on a drill press. I'd probably go 60 grit. A raised "pad" to set 
> the hammer on will accommodate the side angle of the shank, and a strip of 
> wood tacked on the pad will give you a fence to hold the hammer against to 
> avoid spontaneous launching. A couple of "bites" on each side, keeping the 
> shank clear of the disc, should be able to thin them to whatever you need. 
> I presume the tails are already tapered, and will likely be narrow enough 
> without further work??? The bigger hammers will be easy to keep flat, and 
> the sides parallel, but the treble hammers get tougher. If the trebles are 
> hung square to the shank, that gives you an outrigger (the shank) to 
> square the hammer to the sander with another block of wood clamped to the 
> table for the shank to rest on. You might find it easier to make two 
> separate setups. One elevated for the "shank down" side of the angled 
> hammers and one flat with outrigger support for the "shank up" side of the 
> angled hammers (which will be wide enough to control without the 
> outrigger), and both sides of the smaller square hung hammers. Either way, 
> it's more work than thinning prior to hanging.
>
> Let us know what works for you.
> Ron N
>
>