<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: Heavy action</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"> <BLOCKQUOTE>Roger, I am always very interested in learning all possible ways of eliminating ha= mmer weight. The best way I have seen so far, was in the Renner factory, where there are= twp ways : Using a circel saw, or a very heavy, very shrap handheld blade. Would it be possible to send a picture/drawing of your jig to the list? Friendly greetings, André Oorebeek Hi Charles,             &nb= sp;   Reduction of hammer mass can be accomplished more effic= iently by removing felt and wood. I have  a jig that I use on a = table saw that makes a tapered cut on both sides of the hammer. By starting = the cut about 1/4" from behind the strike point the felt removal will d= rop the hammer mass dramatically.  the table saw approach also gives mo= re consistency from hammer to hammer. Removing shank mass in the upper trebl= e is a technique for altering tone quality as opposed to touch correction. &= nbsp;Reducing shank mass in the bass can lead to problems, re shank strength= vs the weight of the hammer.   It is very easy to remove up to 2 grams on #1 bass hammer with = this method, which translates to 10 grams DW on the average piano. If you ar= e working with mahogany moldings the amount of touch weight correction by ju= st tapering or coving the tails is very limited.  The amount of touch w= eight correction from the shanks, (length X mass) is quite limited.   I reserve shank reduction for voicing corrections, it is very u= sfull to get rid of the "woody thunk" that is some times encounter= ed, hard to describe on paper. Thinning the shank can increase the whip lash= effect of the shank, and help reduce the dwell time, creating a clearer mor= e focused tone quality.   Some food for thought, How much felt mass vs molding in the cen= tre and bass section of the keyboard? Regards Roger </BLOCKQUOTE> </BODY> </HTML>