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<DIV>Another method is to run the end of the shanks up and down the edge of the
blade of a cambination square, but this requires a good bench top and that the
action stack be off the kays. Travelling them before hanging the hammers should
be the rule, not merely a good idea. The order is to travel, twist (burn) and
space.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ted Sambell</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=fssturm@unm.edu href="mailto:fssturm@unm.edu">Fred Sturm</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org
href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, March 25, 2007 10:52
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [CAUT] Tip of the Year
Revisted</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=Verdana>Hi Keith,<BR> A
pre-travel of un-hung shanks is definitely a good idea, and I’m sure the lined
stick works well. I use the upside down method as a standard procedure
whenever I am doing a thorough recondition/prep type operation. I’ll be
pulling the stack anyway, to brush and iron (and maybe teflon) wipp felt, to
iron letoff button felt, to polish and lube capstans (rag, Flitz, McLube),
maybe to pull keys and steam and re-size bushings (or re-bush), yadda, yadda.
Brushing the knuckles is much more convenient in that upside down position,
too. And checking shanks for pinning is a breeze with stack off and various
angling and swinging operations. I have yet to find a stack with travel I
couldn’t improve using this method. Including stacks I had meticulously
traveled and been very proud of.<BR> With just shanks,
no hammers in the way of the eyes, a lined stick can be seen readily. Looking
over the hammers, though, it gets tricky to have your eye in the right angle.
<BR> In any case, we all try lots of things and end up
with what we find works most efficiently for our own styles. I’ll give your
method a go next time I am installing a new set of shanks, and see if I think
it is more efficient.<BR> I’m a little confused by a
couple of your statements. If movement is greater at the hammerhead than at
the shank, wouldn’t using the hammerhead as reference give a finer adjustment
(though I prefer to look at the very end of the shank through the hammerhead
molding – but same geometry)? And where does burning shanks come into play?
Unless it is that with well-travelled shanks, a square hammer is a square
hammer, so you just hang it right and you’re done. No quarrel
there.<BR>Regards,<BR>Fred Sturm<BR>University of New Mexico
<BR><BR> <BR>On 3/25/07, <B>Keith Roberts</B>
<keithspiano@gmail.com> wrote: <BR></FONT>
<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Verdana>I did a few more shank travelings and I found
that the movement at the hammer head is far larger than the movement at the
shank. Using the stick and clothespin method, a movement of a thick pencil
line on the stick was the equivelent of a mm to a 1/16 inch. On a piano that
shanks hadn't been traveled properly before hanging the hammers, flipping
the stack over works great. BUT.. <BR> <BR>On a piano I am going to
hang hammers, the stick method works so well and is so easy, I don't have to
travel any of the shanks after I hang the set. It saves so much burning and
on this set I hung yesterday you can pick up the hammers with a straight
edge under the tails and they all sit flat on the surface and don't move
sideways as you move them up and down. I spaced them evenly and all of a
sudden this piano lines up. You know, all the ducks are in a row, nice, neat
and orderly. <BR>You need to try this Fred. <BR>Once you have the sticks
made you may never go back. <BR>You don't have to pull the stack,
jack.<BR><BR>Keith Roberts<BR><BR><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT
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