MCS wrote:) <<"but with the consensus of opinion of rebuilders who are willing to decide for themselves what works and what doesn't (based on personal experience and experimentation rather than industry specified sacred cows), ending up in about the same place, it can't have been anything but a similar process among manufacturers that set these standards in the first place.">> Ron; No scientific theories from me here, just some thoughts, cause I sure don't want to get in on the "tension" aspects of pins! <<"consensus of opinion of rebuilders who are willing to decide for themselves what works and what doesn't">> The intelligent consensus would be to use the smallest, workable, thingees first because that will leave some room for error and I 'think' that is what we all do...more or less. Of course there are many many more techs replacing pinblocks now then in years past and that creates the expectation and familiarity of 2/0 pins. Ergo 2/0 is becoming the "standard" size and anything else is becoming somehow less, or at least non-standard. That does not needfully relegate all other size pins to the 'less worthy column...does it? <<"(based on personal experience and experimentation rather than industry specified sacred cows)">> Personal experience shows that there is no functional difference between 2/0 and 6/0 pins...that being said they do "feel" differently but 'functionally" they are the same. Since I am more math challenged than the average tech I won't do the math but I wonder?????? Is there a frictional difference between a 2/0 X 2.5" pin and a 2/0 X 2 1/4 pin?.....How about between a 2/0 X 2.5" pin and a 4/0 X2 1/4" pin? Carrying on this line of reasoning...shouldn't a pin which requires less movement of the pin be a 'better' pin because of less wear of the pinblock through pin movement? If this thought is even close to being correct than that would argue for a 'larger' rather than a 'smaller' pin...wouldn't it? After all don't you have to turn a 'small' pin more to make the same pitch adjustment as with a larger pin?? The difference between 2/0 and 4/0 is aprox. .009 and considering that this thingee is going to be stuck in a piece of wood which has many variations of frictional capability throughout the whole...does it really make a difference?? Is it possible that how 'our' favorite tuning hammer tip fits on any given size pin makes more of a difference than does pin size itself?? <<"it can't have been anything but a similar process among manufacturers that set these standards in the first place.">> Possibly the technical side had something to do with the original sizing...but another possibility of the seemingly set "standard" is 'cost'...........for example Stenwin calls XYZ manufacturer and says they want them to develop a pin to use for tuning pianos with the following characteristics.............wheupon XYZ says "Hey! we already make that pin for Baldway and can let you have the same thing for X number of dollars per hundred thousand." Stenwin says yep we can do that and the style/size of pin you make for Baldway will be just fine.........ergo automatic "standard" pin style/size? Just some thoughts. Jim Bryant (FL)
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