[pianotech] Tight Tuning Pins

[John Formsma]

On Thu, Jan 1, 2009 at 7:05 AM, Jeff Deutschle <oaronshoulder at gmail.com>wrote:

> To move a tight pin a small amount, I prefer a heavy hammer. I use the Hale
> speed hammer that weighs over 2 pounds and is very economical if you want to
> give it a try. Or as a test you can wrap a 1 pound roll of solder around a
> conventional hammer to see if you like the heft. Yes it is heavier to move
> from pin to pin, but since I use a jerking style, there is less strain when
> moving the pin. I don't see an advantage of using a stiffer hammer when
> using a jerking style.
>

I do think having more mass may be helpful when using a jerk or impact
technique.  I have a Hale speed lever, but haven't used it in years.  It's
way too heavy for my regular use.
The lever stiffness is also important, though.  I recently used an old Hale
extension lever that I keep in the shop for restringing (and the fact that I
have problems throwing stuff away <g>) on a piano with tight pins.  (A piano
that Ron Nossaman did for my mom -- tight pins, but very controllable. The
Hale was more available right then, and I just needed to touch up one
string.) It is absolutely no match for the stiffness of the Fujan lever.
 I've tuned hundreds of pianos with the Fujan, and several hundred with a
Jahn before that, and several hundred with a Hale before that.  Each lever
"upgrade" has been a benefit.  Yes, I could still tune well with that old
Hale, but I wouldn't want to, especially on those pins.

As an aside, I've been thinking of modifying the Fujan to add a bit more
weight to the ball end, just to see if it improves the jerk method of
tuning. It was on my list of things to get done before year's end.  Haven't
done it yet, so maybe by this year's end? <G>

-- 
JF
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