<html><body> <DIV>Hi Alan:</DIV> <DIV>It sounds to me like you need to tune (or try to tune) more pianos to get the feel.  Be sure you are holding the hammer as demonstrated and after a few tunings you'll know hard to "whack it" up or down and then ease back.  You can answer most of your questions yourself after a dozen or so tunings, so........... </DIV> <DIV>keep trying.......</DIV> <DIV>Howard Jackson</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message -------------- <BR>From: "Alan Barnard" <pianotuner@embarqmail.com> <BR> <STYLE>  </STYLE> <P>Just got the Reyburn impact hammer in an effort to prolong the tuning life of my shoulders and neck.</P> <P> </P> <P>Tuned a Yamaha studio with fairly tight pins and felt like I was back in Hammer Technique 101; that is to say, I got a nice tuning but it took a loooong time.</P> <P> </P> <P>Questions for experienced users, please ...</P> <P> </P> <P>1. Since one can't do the old overpull and settle routine, is an impact whack down as good as a whack up, vis-a-vis stability?</P> <P> </P> <P>2. If a fairly large movement is made in one whack, and it just happens to hit the mark, will that be stable?</P> <P> </P> <P>3. For relatively big moves--say 4 cents or more--do you just use the hammer like a "regular" tuning lever, to get it close?</P> <P> </P> <P>4. In the treble, it seems like you have to play the note constantly while whackawhackawhacking in small increments. Comments?</P> <P> </P> <P>5. Anything else that might help an experienced newbie like me???</P> <P> </P> <P>Thanks</P> <P> </P> <P>Alan Barnard<BR>Salem, MO<BR></P></BLOCKQUOTE></body></html>