[CAUT] hammer line

[Fred Sturm]

Hi Jon,
	I'm not sure I follow your logic here (see below)

On Mar 1, 2008, at 5:29 PM, Jon Page wrote:

>
> I want to bring this up again because it is something not considered
> beyond an overall knuckle size.
>
> A set of shanks will have knuckles at various heights, meaning the  
> distance
> from the shank to the end of the cover. Sometimes as much as 1mm with
> varying distances sprinkled throughout.
>
> A shank with a 'taller' knuckle (or maybe it wasn't pressed in as  
> far) will
> have the wippen resting at the lower elevation than its neighbor  
> with a
> 'shorter' knuckle for the hammers to be at the same height. This lower
> wippen will have to travel through a slightly greater distance to  
> reach the
> Let Off button and consequently attenuating the after touch.

Isn't the letoff button going to be custom regulated to that wippen/ 
jack? Hence, won't the distance the wipp travels before the jack  
tender touches the button be essentially the same? And isn't  
aftertouch then custom set relative to letoff?
>
> My contention is that even knuckle heights will produce a more even
> after touch. It will also produce a more even Let Off button line  
> due to
> the more even geometry or shank ratio. I have proven it on many
> installations.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jon Page

	I'm not wanting to say the variance in knuckle (manufacturing  
variance) is insignificant: it will affect the leverage ratios to a  
degree. And, yes, that has regulation and touch ramifications. And  
having a fine degree of consistency is something to be sought (I think  
the change from buckskin to escaine is a move in a positive direction,  
as buckskin thickness is very hard to control). But having said all  
that, I don't see the direct connection between small variance in  
knuckle/shank distance (within 1 mm) and aftertouch. It seems to me  
that this is within "normal parameters" and is on of the reasons we  
have so many adjustments available. "Perfection" is great and should  
be aimed at, but one gets to a point of diminishing returns, no? (But,  
hey, I have my own pet things I obsess about <G>).
	Your point about the letoff button line is certainly well taken. That  
is a very interesting thing to look at, and it reveals a lot about  
overall manufacturing consistency.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu