[CAUT] hammer thickness trimming jig

Fenton Murray fmurray at cruzio.com
Thu Aug 28 10:15:29 MDT 2008


[CAUT] hammer thickness trimming jigExactly my procedure, Dave. My thinking is this is an old set of hammers that was incorrectly installed, so looks are not my number on priority as in the machining of a new set. Also, the sander gives me very precise adjustment of weight, like .1 gram, I can't get that on the table saw. You can get a little on the cove and hammer felt, but if you need more than .3 or .4 it seems like a touch on the sander is the way to go. After machining a new set, I get the spindle sander and belt sander and disc all going at once with dust collection and ear protection, I've got the scale set up, then with me in the middle I go through the set weighing each hammer and touching it here or there as needed. A little bit of sanding smear on some of the sides doesn't bother me, air and dust collection will minimize it. I do all the initial tapering on the table saw though, works great.
Fenton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Love 
  To: 'Pianotech List' 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 10:56 PM
  Subject: RE: [CAUT] hammer thickness trimming jig


  I've done that too but it looks like crap and that bugs me.  Nevertheless sometimes that's the only option.  Best to do it with a gram scale and a Stanwood jig nearby so you can check the strike weights as you go.  



  David Love
  davidlovepianos at comcast.net
  www.davidlovepianos.com 

  -----Original Message-----
  From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fenton Murray
  Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 10:10 PM
  To: Pianotech List
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] hammer thickness trimming jig



  I've thinned several sets of hung hammers on a sander. I use the disk and the small belt free hand with the hammer supported by a table. I make a couple of go/no go gauges to keep me honest with the tail and the head. It's very quick and easy if not perfectly accurate beautiful machining, but it gets the job (weight reduction)  done.

  Fenton

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: David Love 

    To: 'Pianotech List' 

    Sent: Monday, August 25, 2008 8:34 PM

    Subject: RE: [CAUT] hammer thickness trimming jig



    Table saws and routers always make me a bit nervous especially when trying to support the object in question with hand held pressure.  It seems like one could construct a jig where the hammer is held strike point down so that the shank doesn't actually get in the way and you could create some kind of holding mechanism so fingers or finger pressure to hold things in place would not need to be used.  The width of the hammer could thus be thinned and weight removed to the point just before where the shank engages.  A belt sander could then be used to clean up the area around the shank were it necessary.  I'll have to give it some thought when the shop empties of pianos (which isn't likely any time soon).  It might be easier just to remove the offending set from the shanks, thin them on the Spurlock jig and rehang them.  The customer is paying, after all.  Why put your fingers at risk to save them a few bucks.  



    David Love
    davidlovepianos at comcast.net
    www.davidlovepianos.com 


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20080828/36bca240/attachment.html 


More information about the Pianotech mailing list

This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC