[CAUT] Shank to Hammer weight spreadsheet

[David Love]

Never figured out what the benefit of doing it this way is.  Weighing the
hammers, weighing the shanks, inputing data, shuffling the input data,
futzing and more futzing, mixing and matching, yada yada yada.  It takes too
long.  Just dry fit the hammers to the shanks right after you've tapered
them with the table saw (if you do that--which I do).  It's nice to dry fit
them anyway as it's makes the glue up much faster.  Then weigh the strike
weights of each assembly.  Write it down on a spread sheet and then go
through and eyeball making notes on where you need to make the adjustments
+/- and how much to get the curve you want.  Either add lead solder to the
molding if you need to increase the weight, or taper the hammer a bit more
since you've got the saw set up anyway if you need to reduce the weight.
Screw the shanks onto the rail with the hammers dry fit, remove the hammers
(now the shanks are in order), travel and glue.  Fast and easy and you only
have to weigh things on that tippy little platform once.  If you want to
play with the knuckles to get them the same height (like Jon P does), you
can do that anytime before or after.  

To quote Yogi Berra: Why take three times as long when you can get the same
result in half the time.  (Actually, he never said that.)  Life is short
enough already.    

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