<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1528" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Robert,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I do not mean to evade your question but you will find that each piano will be a little different.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My advice would be to read Ken Burton's "Different Strokes" it will give you about 20 ideas of different ways to tame the beasts we deal with.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Two ideas to think on:</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1> When the pin does not move up with my usual quick jerk and seems to only move at the top of the pin,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>lowering the pin past the first click drops the note a lot, but instead of one click back up. I am able to get 3 to 8 back to where the note once was. This allows me to set the pin with far less overpull resulting in greater stability. The click that you feel is the whole pin turning in the block and is easier to feel with a good hammer.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2> The lever closer to in line with the strings, reduces negative flexing of the pin, as does `slightly controling the lever keeping the end of the shaft in a parallel with the twist of the pin as you pull or push.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Good luck</FONT></DIV> <DIV>Joe Goss RPT<BR>Mother Goose Tools<BR><A href="mailto:imatunr@srvinet.com">imatunr@srvinet.com</A><BR><A href="http://www.mothergoosetools.com">www.mothergoosetools.com</A></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=rfinley@rcn.com href="mailto:rfinley@rcn.com">Robert Finley</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 29, 2006 9:25 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Tuning Hammer Technique and Staibilty Question</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would like to ask a question about how the tuning hammer should be used to achieve a stable and accurate tuning. I understand that one has to turn the tuning pin with the hammer so that the string is slightly above pitch, and then ease it back down into position, presumably to eliminate any self-twisting of the pin that could occur afterwards, causing the string to go out of tune. I guess this is because the tuning pin is flexible and the twisting at the bottom of the pin where it is seated in the pin block lags the twisting at the top of the pin over which the tuning hammer is placed. </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My question is, how much should one tune the string above pitch before easing the pin back down? Should it be a few cents, cycles or what? I find it interesting that the tuning pin is that flexible because it seems to be made of rigid steel. I would expect the twisting effect of something that rigid to be minute, but enough to cause a string to go out of tune if the incorrect hammer technique is used. I have found that on my own piano, I can turn the tuning hammer a noticeable amount without a change in pitch, until I reach a point where it does start to change. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thank you for your advice. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robert Finley</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>