HAMMER HANGING JIG, from spurlock

[A440A@aol.com]

 Stéphane writes:

>So I like setting the first and last hammer in each section at the correct
> angle, copied from old hammers, 

Greetings, 
      Umm,  I don't copy the old hammer's angle, since factory production, 
(even on some very expensive pianos) often allows a less than optimum angle. 
Also, on actions with hammers previously replaced , I can't trust the last 
aftermarket job to be correct. 
    I like my hammers to be just slightly (may two degrees) distal from 
perpendicular to the string, when they are new.  This allows a greater length of 
time in which they are within a couple of degrees of exactly 90 degress to the 
string.  As they wear a little, they come to exactly 90 degrees.  If they begin 
at perfection, it is all downhill from there! Seems like I get a longer 
period of use in the optimum zone, this way. 
     Bechsteins, for one, often have dramatic angles on them in the treble, 
so I don't make too much alteration to the original unless something else is 
too wrong to work with, (rare).  
regards, 

Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html