Loading the tuning pin

AlliedPianoCraft AlliedPianoCraft at hotmail.com
Sat Aug 30 16:56:31 MDT 2008


Great explanation Ron.

Al Guecia

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Ron Nossaman" <rnossaman at cox.net>
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 6:53 PM
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Subject: Re: Loading the tuning pin

> 
>> William,
>>  
>> Thank you for your quick response. You are spot on with what I 
>> thought the instructor meant, but I was not real sure if I was 
>> interpreting it correctly. In fact I believe he used the term in the 
>> context of leaving a performance piano with the pins loaded.
>>  
>> I could not agree with you more in my limited experience, I feel much 
>> more comfortable leaving all things equal and set, or as you stated at 
>> "equilibrium". When I know or think I know a pin is set I don't want to 
>> mess with loading it. This could go with the current thread on floating 
>> the pitch. If you think the pitch may change by performance time, tune 
>> it sharp or flat by your estimates with the pins set not loaded.
>>  
>> Thanks again for your insight on this matter.
>>  
>> Steve Blasyak RPT
> 
> I'd like to clear up a point of basic physics here. You're not 
> leaving the pin with no twist in it, you're ideally leaving it 
> with whatever twist it takes to counter the opposing twisting 
> force from string tension. That's the equilibrium you're 
> after. You have no way to tell what twist is still in the pin 
> because you can't measure it directly. The only indications 
> you get are what you feel, and what you hear (or see on your 
> ETD) as the string pitch changes. When you leave the pin at a 
> point where it takes the same or very slightly more force on 
> the tuning hammer to lower pitch X amount that it does to 
> raise pitch by X amount, you're in the ball park. At that 
> balance of forces, the pin will be left with some twist, but 
> will be in balance with string tension.
> Ron N
> 


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