<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2769" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7> <DIV><SPAN class=911393300-09112005><FONT color=#0000ff>Why not bite = the bullet and tune left handed?  Jim Geiger forced us students to tune = everything left-handed, and it was probably the wisest thing he did when I was in = school. I've been playing with an impact hammer, and placing it in the 10-12 = o'clock position makes an incredible difference in the amount of force needed to = move the pin. Right handed tuners are usually at 1-2 o'clock, where it take = probably twice the torque to move the pin.  So you could save a lot of = strain, and a lot of actual calories of work.....      As I = said in another post, I carry four hammers, and it is not uncommon that I'll use = them all on a single piano. It sort of spreads the strains out in different = ways and so relieves me of just one way of dealing with the piano. I haven't = learned how to feel the stability of the pin with the impact, but on a pitch raise, = I'm completely sold, and will continue till I learn to deal with the pins = because I think it is a marvelous tool.  I got a cheap one from Schaff, and = did a little work to put a nice soft handle on it, like the $200-$300 ones, = took a little of the weight off the end, and will eventually probably use it exclusively on a lot of pianos.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=911393300-09112005><FONT = color=#0000ff>les</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> = caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Wimblees@aol.com<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, November 08, 2005 4:08 PM<BR><B>To:</B> caut@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> [CAUT] hand and wrist = position<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial = color=#000000> <DIV>This is more or less related to the recent discussion about our = hands and wrists. We had a chapter meeting on Saturday at a Chiropractor's = office. He's been helping one of our members with aches and pains. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When tuning an upright, right handed, he told me that the best = position to tune is to sit at a 45 degree angle to the piano, which is what = I've been doing, but to hold my lever so that my hands are with the = knuckles towards the pins. I was taught to hold the lever with my hand = outstretched, with the thumb pointing down to the head, and my little finger at the = top of the lever. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I haven't had the chance to tune an upright yet, but do = any of you hold the lever the way the Chiropractor suggests?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As far as a grand is concerned, we should hold the lever at then = end, with a ball. I've not been doing this either, but I know a lot of you = are. I'll get one, if there is one for sale, at the NCRC this = weekend.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim  </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>