Jeannie!!! Your post piqued my curiosity. I bought one of the danair tools recently. Boy that was an impulse purchase if I ever made one. As I mentioned in an earlier post, they are available cheaper elsewhere and also different brands, too. That and the fact that I have no immediate plans to drive any pins makes that a classic example of an impulse purchase. I just went out and looked at my prize purchase (at full price, I might add) and as I mentioned I drive the pins in before stringing. You recall that I use a 3/8 bolt with a 1/3/4 long shaft coupler and lock nut with a 1/8 piece of rubber to drive the pins in to an adjustable depth. Now I think that if you do this with reasonable accuracy and you string with three turns there will be no need to readjust the height of the pins unless you have not chosen the correct depth. I would think that if the torque is acceptable and the height of the pins are even, no further work is required. The tool has approx. 1/2 inch stroke max and the sleeve surrounding the driving piston is spring loaded extending approx 3/8 inch beyond the max stroke of the piston. As the sleeve contacts a surface it retracts so that a nail etc may be driven approx 1/8 inch below the surface. The diameter of the driving piston will of course determine the damage or detent of the surface. I bought the RN16-16 and so I cut off the head of my 3/8 bolt to fit and then it mushroomed. In retrospect I wish I'd ordered the RN16-75 or 78 so that I could have just left the head on the bolt and minimized the mushrooming effect. I'll call them to see if I can get those extra fittings instead of having to change the tool itself. I'm sure they will be expensive, too. The brochure by Danair says it is great for underwater nailing. Perhaps you could submerge your piano in a swimming pool and drive the pins there. Wouldn't even have to wear earplugs. Happy pin driving!!!! Carl Meyer ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeannie Grassi" <jgrassi@silverlink.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 2:52 PM Subject: RE: Air Hammer > Hi Tom, > Thanks for responding. Your original post mentioned a blueprint, but you > didn't say what was wrong with the original tips and why they can't be used > as-is. I'm so glad you explained about the difference between installing > with the coil on the pin or not. I put the pins in first without coils, as > I think Terry mentioned he does it, so I wouldn't run into a problem until > later when I wished to even out the height with the coils now on the pins. > Oops! How much of a difference are we talking about here? Can I simply > grind the tip down myself? Thanks for sticking with us on this. > > jeannie > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf > Of Tom Servinsky > Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 6:57 PM > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: Air Hammer > > > Jeannie, > The blueprint, I'm sure is not that necessary, as any one with shop > experience can figure this out. It's not rocket science..granted. > However, my schedule is hectic as it is and I'm finding less and less time > to set aside to fabricate this item. I was planning on going to one of my > favorite machinists and have him configure it properly. I would like the > tip to work perfect without having to fuss to much. > As my Score adviser lectured me on....concentrate on the things to you do > well and find others to fill in the gaps where you are weaker. I'm not a > great fabricator, thus finding the perfect blueprint and handing it over to > a good machinist makes perfectly good sense ( and cents) to me. > Tom Servinsky, RPT > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jeannie Grassi" <jgrassi@silverlink.net> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 11:25 AM > Subject: RE: Air Hammer > > > > Tom, > > I was just about ready to order one. My question a few days ago to Terry > > was with regard to the tip. Now, if I have this nice blueprint, what am I > > to do with it? (Be kind, folks...) Are you suggesting having something > > made up from this blueprint? And how much will this little item cost me > in > > addition to an already fairly pricey tool? Just trying to budget for a > > change. > > > > jeannie > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf > > Of Tom Servinsky > > Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2001 7:39 AM > > To: pianotech@ptg.org > > Subject: Re: Air Hammer > > > > > > LIST, > > I just spoke with Denair technicians with regards to the Palm Nailer tip. > > They are providing a blueprint drawing of the attachment made for Baldwin > > Co. at no charge. At one time they produced the correct head for Baldwin > > and eventually stopped producing the part. They basically said they have > > considered producing it again, especially now that their product has > gotten > > so much attention from the rebuilders, but rather they would send out the > > drawing or maybe even publish it on Pianotech. For those in the same > > position as I ( just bought the nailer and extremely eager to use it) be > > patient and the drawing will be made public very shortly. They have > already > > done all the homework making the perfect head...take advantage of their R& > D > > department. > > > > PS...as a customer friendly company, Denair is tops on my list. Their > tech > > staff is a joy to deal with. > > > > Tom Servinsky,RPT > > Pianocraft of the Treasure Coast > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jeannie Grassi" <jgrassi@silverlink.net> > > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > > Sent: Friday, May 04, 2001 6:50 PM > > Subject: RE: Air Hammer > > > > > > > Hi Terry, > > > What tip, or attachment did you use with your Danair Palm Nailer? Does > it > > > come with something that will fit the tuning pins? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > jeannie > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf > > > Of Farrell > > > Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2001 2:48 PM > > > To: pianotech@ptg.org > > > Subject: Air Hammer > > > > > > > > > Just tried out my Danair Palm Nailer #RN-16-8 for the first time driving > > > three tuning pins into a pinblock. Holy cow cookies! That thing is > slicker > > > than you-know-what! > > > > > > Often as I drove a tuning pin by hand (with manual hammer) into a bare > > > pinblock, I could see the damage I did to the top of the hole as the pin > > > wiggled back and forth with each blow (hey, I'm a newbie!). I'm sure it > > > continued throughout the driving process. The couple pianos I have > > restrung, > > > resulted in acceptable (for me - I had low expectations), but far from > > > perfectly uniform tuning pin torque. > > > > > > The three pins I drove into a bare pinblock resulted in 160 in-lbs. > torque > > > for each one. Not 150, not 170, but all three were like exactly 160 > > in-lbs. > > > of torque. I had never done that before. Oh, boy, this has made my day. > I > > > can hardly wait until after I finish restringing and start > > chipping/tuning. > > > Clearly, I am expecting fabulous results. > > > > > > Thank you Del Fandrich and Roger Jolly (and anyone else that > participated > > in > > > that thread - I know there were a few) - I recall that both of you use > an > > > air powered hammer, and one of you recommended the Danair specifically. > > Man, > > > you just drive those puppies straight down. I am just absolutely amazed > at > > > what a difference it makes! Fast, easy, and NO tuning pin wiggling. > > > > > > What do you use as a guide for tuning pin driving depth control? On my > > bare > > > test holes, I used an one-inch-thick piece of hard maple with a > 5/16-inch > > > hole drilled in it. I placed the maple guide over the tuning pin hole, > > > inserted the tuning pin, and drove it with the Palm Nailer until it > would > > go > > > no further. That worked perfect - for a bare block. Now I need to figure > > out > > > what to use when I am driving the pin through the plate into the block. > > What > > > does anyone use? Something hard to physically stop the Palm Nailer from > > > going any further - or do you tape a stick or something to the thingee > > that > > > goes over the top of the tuning pin and just watch until it touches the > > > plate or whatever? > > > > > > Can we adapt this thing for bridge pins - or just way too much > horsepower? > > > > > > Terry Farrell > > > Piano Tuning & Service > > > Tampa, Florida > > > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com > > > > > > > > > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC