S&S D with high strings/low action stack

[John Delacour]

At 10:58 pm -0400 11/10/06, Erwinspiano at aol.com wrote:

>   Perhaps I did misunderstood but if the hammer is toÊstrike the 
>string at a Êright angle it preculdes that the hammer shank will 
>have to slightly overcenterÊ& that the bore length will be slightly 
>less than the String height minus the center pin height to achieve 
>this.

The misunderstanding is in the definition of "overcentre".

>  ÊI'm assuming you may be hanging the hammers at a right angle to the shank.

I repeat what I said in my last message :

      "I made no mention in my message of the angle of
      the hammer-head to the shank.  That will depend
      on a number of factors."

in fact most of the German grands that I deal with are designed and 
originally set up with the hammer-head cast outwards.

         ______/  and not _______|

so that assuming a horizontal string (say in the tenor) yes, the 
shank will go past the horizontal.  This seems to be what you mean by 
over-centring, and by this definition many pianos are designed so. 
What I mean by over-centring is that the the hammer rises beyond the 
point at which the centre-line of the hammer-head is parallel to a 
line drawn at right angles from the strike point on the string.

>In order to hit an angled string plane with the hammer & have the 
>Êstring and hammer at Êright angles to  each other ,somethings got 
>to give. See what I mean?

I see exactly what you mean.  I wasn't born yesterday!

>   Perhaps sharing your boring protocol will clear up what your 
>saying. Was mine unclear?

I'm working all day on a 7'10" Ibach ("Richard Wagner" model) that 
I've been finishing for sale all week.  I'll try to squeeze a moment 
from my schedule to take exact measurements and make drawings to 
illustrate this case.  Unfortunately I fitted the hammers a few years 
ago or I would have the measurements to hand.  When I have more time 
I'll do the same for a 1920s Steinway model O I have in the workshop.

A few drawings with explanations are far more useful than an endless 
discussion without any real data or illustration -- far too common a 
phenomenon on this list.

JD