<html><body> <DIV>Hi John,</DIV> <DIV>I don't know. I'm not old yet. ;) I'm still a teen ager, age 40. going on 41.:) LOL </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Do you place the shank just above and below the bridge pin as one does to level the string?  Does the hammer shank need to have a point or can I take an old hammer from an action and take the top off and use the flat smooth end of the shank?  Thanks again.</DIV> <DIV>Marshall</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message -------------- From: "John M. Formsma" <john@formsmapiano.com> <META content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)" name=Generator> <STYLE> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </STYLE> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PersonName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <STYLE>  </STYLE> <DIV class=Section1> <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City>,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Yes, so to speak. Gentle pressure, not a jab. You just want to see if the string moves (i.e., pitch changes), which is the purpose of a hard blow. However, the shank can deflect more than a test blow will; hence the effectiveness. Not that you need to be moving the string very far, but it’s more effective than smacking the heck out of the string without the damaging and/or painful effects of a hard blow. In other words, you’ll get more deflection with the shank than a hard blow.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Funny on me. After I posted this, I started thinking, hmmm…seems like this has come up on the list before. So I did a search, and found that yours truly mentioned this back in November 1999. Aaggh! How embarrasking! I remember the class now…my first convention, Steinway all-day, John Patton session. I’m only 35, so I can’t claim this as a senior moment. Is this what it’s like when you get old???  ;-)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> John Formsma <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </DIV> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of pianotune05 Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 9:19 PM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> Hi John,<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> What do you mean by deflect the string?  What do you actually do to the string. I'm trying to visualize this.  Are we poking the string with a hammer shank?  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshall</st1:place></st1:City><o:p></o:p></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN: 5pt 0in 5pt 3.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: black 1.5pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"> <DIV> ----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV style="font-color: black"> From: <A title=john@formsmapiano.com href="mailto:john@formsmapiano.com">John M. Formsma</A> <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> To: <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">'Pianotech List'</A> <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 8:25 PM<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> Subject: RE: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> <o:p> </o:p></DIV> Geoff,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I just learned a new thing to allow one to tune a piano at pianissimo levels. *(Courtesy of Leonard Gustafson, RPT, of the Memphis PTG chapter, who picked it up from a Steinway tech doing a technical at one of our chapter meetings.)<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Anyway, you use a vertical hammer shank (or something similar) to slightly deflect the string after it’s tuned. The idea is that a hard test blow will show any string movement (from deflection by the hammer). A deflection by a hammer shank will also do this, but at a greater level than the severest test blow ever could. I used this yesterday on the four pianos I tuned (2 verts & 2 grands), and it worked very well, although it’s slow at first b/c it’s a new skill. I gave one string ten whacks as hard as I could, and nothing moved in the slightest. I also did a few hard blows in various sections to ensure that it works everywhere. I’m very glad to know of this as my playing/test blow elbow has been sore lately.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The only downside I can see is that it might take a bit longer at first. (Leonard tunes in 45min to 1 hour, so it hasn’t slowed him down.) The positives are that we won’t have hearing loss from hard test blows, and body damage is also greatly reduced. I’ll gladly trade test blows for a few more years of hearing and less pain.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> John Formsma<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </DIV> From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Geoff Sykes Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 2:00 AM To: Pianotech@Ptg. Org Subject: More on hearing protection<o:p></o:p></DIV> <o:p> </o:p> <DIV> With the "Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Part 2" article in the Q&A section of The Journal, I'd like to hear from some fellow tech's who have tried the Zem earplugs, by Sensgard. They're ugly, but the technology is such a different approach than just a simple "plug" that perhaps they could be very useful. I have been using 32db foam Hearos, but I find that while the foam is comfortable I get a lot of attenuation variation from one set to the next, and they're not that flat in response. I also have a pair of Etymotic High Fidelity Earplugs, (identical to the Hearos High Fidelity Ear Filters), which work great. My only complaints are that they're not that long term comfortable and tha t since the frequency response is much flatter, the attenuation, (rated at 20db), is perhaps a little too much. Zem claims 32db reduction. <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV>  <o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> -- Geoff Sykes<o:p></o:p></DIV> <DIV> -- Assoc. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:City></st1:place><o:p></o:p></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></body></html>