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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alot of good ideas and ways for producing some
very refined work are being floated regarding shank radius weight and
hammerweight which combine to produce strikeweight and the action's main
contribution to overall tone. Frame bedding and key dip collision are also part
of the equation. But getting back to variable strike points, which can be
reduced or clarified (maybe the better term) by smoothing out the
strikeweight whatever procedure you choose to follow, the process is different
for the bass tenor break where we are not looking for a strike point than for
the treble where we are looking for one or more. There is usually a gap at the
bass tenor break in the hammer weight, as Jon has rightly pointed out, but I
usually just smooth out the strikeweight with lead or sanding in that area and
don't find the hammer appearance too radical. So I don't see the need for much
change in the shank radius weight at that point other than for the elegance of
numbers. In other words I don't understand the pratical tonal adavantage at that
point. In fact it may cahnge the tone more to introduce a heavier shank than to
alter the hammers. I don't have any hard data there but it is a
possiblility.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> I pre-sort the shanks heavy to light bass to
treble before I channel them and then again after channeling them. I too
find that this reduces the quantity of the variation if not the relative
variation. I do not make a spreadsheet until that point after the second
sorting. I do not try and match up shank radius weights with hammer weights to
produce particular strikeweights but I do smooth the strikeweights with leading
and sanding after dry fitting. I allow a .1g margin for error. When sanding
the biggest bang for the buck is on the sides of the hammer which includes
both felt and molding and does not disturb the strikepoint. But having done my
presortings of the shanks and thanks to the fairly uniform taper of our
fine after market hammer manufacturers I find very little to do other than at
the bass tenor break. I can compare this to the many actions I
have rennovated using Stanwood priciples over the years prior to doing this
sorting. I may be going over the shanks twice but I have much less work in
the end. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I am intrigued at the possibility of working shank
tone into the equation and will be first looking for a correlation
between pitch and weight.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Chris Solliday</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>