Hang'n dem Hammers

[A440A@aol.com]

RICHARD WRITES: 
>But I do get a real quick dead on line. Guess I am
>looking for a good reason to learn a new approach :)
>
 
 Using the old hammers as guides in an "every other one" fashion brings all 
variables of previous filing or regluing into your equation.  The hammers may 
not be in an exactly even line.  This may cause problems if you try to shape 
the tails en masse, since some may be at greater or lesser amounts of 
inclination.  
   I set hammer bore and hanging angles on the end hammers of the sections. 
Then, after I travel all shanks, hang the hammers with a pair of straight 
edges held in a jig, one, a 90 degree bracket locating the bottom and front 
of the tails and another that the distal shoulder rests against.  Things go 
pretty fast, once the end hammers are correct.  
     In the C5-C7 area, it is not uncommon for the hammer-line to be curved 
between the end hammers on a per section basis. This comes from hanging trial 
hammers in the middle of the section and moving the action in and out to find 
the best contact point on the string.  I don't think the original 
manufacturers always took the time to do this, relying instead on straight 
hammer lines being close enough.  
Regards, 
Ed Foote RPT