Re; New Use For Goose's String Leveling Tool/Old News To me

[Michael Magness]

On 9/24/07, Porritt, David <dporritt at mail.smu.edu> wrote:
>
>  I don't want to start another seat-the-strings-on-the-bridge controversy
> but I do have a hard time equating  "weight of the (2 lb) hammer do the
> work" and "a light tap".  That can really damage the edge of the bridge.
>
>
>
> dp
>
>
>
> David M. Porritt, RPT
>
> dporritt at smu.edu
>
>
>
> *From:* pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Michael Magness
> *Sent:* Monday, September 24, 2007 11:38 AM
> *To:* Pianotech List
> *Subject:* Re: Re; New Use For Goose's String Leveling Tool/Old News To me
>
>
>
> No that's what I use, the same hammer I use for setting string coils and
> driving loose pins deeper. It's in the truck all of the time w/my other
> "back up" tools. It has a nice wide face, you don't miss and hit your hand,
> I don't strike hard with it, just let the weight of the hammer do the work,
> a light tap.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> On 9/24/07, *Porritt, David* <dporritt at mail.smu.edu> wrote:
>
> Is that "2 lb. hammer" a typo????? I hope!
>
>
>
> dp
>
>
>
> David M. Porritt, RPT
>
> dporritt at smu.edu
>
>
>
> *From:* pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] *On
> Behalf Of *Michael Magness
> *Sent:* Monday, September 24, 2007 10:25 AM
> *To:* Pianotech List
> *Subject:* Re; New Use For Goose's String Leveling Tool/Old News To me
>
>
>
> A friend of mine showed this to me about 15 years ago, Paul Wuske was a
> member of the guild, an RPT who resigned last year. He was/is an excellent
> technician, rebuilder and teacher. He had seen some film of one of the asian
> factories, in it they were using brass drifts or punches to seat the
> strings. He adopted this practice for his newly rebuilt/restrung pianos and
> eventually for new piano prep and old pianos when being pitch raised after a
> several year hiatus between tunings. He explained that when the pitch rises
> and falls, which it will in an uncared for piano, the strings will "hang" on
> the bridge pins as the soundboard shrinks back after swelling up over the
> summer with the high humidity. If you tune the piano to pitch, quickly, just
> a rough tune. Then using a piece of brass, I took a 1/4" diameter piece
> about 3" long, I bored a 1/4" hole about 3/4" deep into a 3/4" diameter
> dowel about 6" long put a few drops of gel type CA in the hole and placed
> the brass in the hole. Using this tool, I use a 2 lb. hammer and place it
> either side of the bridge on the string and strike gently(wearing safety
> glasses). On old uprights that haven't been tuned for a few years you can
> actually see the strings move down the bridge pin! When you are finished
> you'll find the piano will be back to 1/2 tone flat(about where you started)
> or more but when you begin to tune again you'll find it to be a lot more
> stable. It's still going to stretch out of tune somewhat but not nearly as
> badly as you're accustomed to. This also works for grands that have been
> moved any distance, new grands & new pianos in general, restrung pianos in
> addition to those neglected pianos I mentioned above. The point of the
> length of the brass is so that it will reach the unwound wire through the
> overstring, the small size of brass allows this also and to get up close to
> the plate. By using brass there is no damage to the string, I have not had
> any strings break doing this but err on the side of cation by wearing the
> safety glasses. I do every string in the piano, bass strings too.
>
> Another plus to this, some of that "bad wire" and false beats will
> disappear on the better pianos.
>
> I also do this to each new string I install, it helps them hold tune
> faster and I already have the hammer there anyway for the coil setting.
> Another area that's greatly overlooked!
>
>
> --
> Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View
> life as a continuous learning experience.
> - Denis Waitley
>
>
> Michael Magness
> Magness Piano Service
> 608-786-4404
> www.IFixPianos.com <http://www.ifixpianos.com/>
> email mike at ifixpianos.com
>
>
> I agree David it could/would IF I were performing it on the bridge! I'm
> NOT! I do it on either side of the bridge an inch or two either side of it
> in the speaking are and the string tail area. I have never damaged a bridge
> doing it to either new or older pianos.
>

Mike

  --
> Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View
> life as a continuous learning experience.
> - Denis Waitley
>
>
> Michael Magness
> Magness Piano Service
> 608-786-4404
> www.IFixPianos.com <http://www.ifixpianos.com/>
> email mike at ifixpianos.com
>



-- 
Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life
as a continuous learning experience.
- Denis Waitley


Michael Magness
Magness Piano Service
608-786-4404
www.IFixPianos.com
email mike at ifixpianos.com
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