<!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 6.00.6000.16608" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Dean, I also become a jerk when I encounter tight pins and a Steinway K. My hammer/Lever is 11"</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Al Guecia</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>----- Original Message ----- </FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>From: "Dean May" <</FONT><A href="mailto:deanmay@pianorebuilders.com"><FONT face=Arial>deanmay@pianorebuilders.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>To: "'Pianotech List'" <</FONT><A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><FONT face=Arial>pianotech@ptg.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 8:11 AM</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Subject: RE: Tuning lever length</FONT></DIV></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial>> Now here Bruce went to a great deal of trouble to start a new thread with a<BR>> proper label on tuning lever length and it has been shanghaied into a<BR>> discussion on jerks and smoothies. <BR>> <BR>> Since I wasn't trained as an apprentice but am mostly self taught, I've had<BR>> to develop a technique that worked for me. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten<BR>> lots of help along the way from some great people. I did attend a tuning<BR>> seminar put on by the Lexington PTG chapter in the mid 80's and I have<BR>> gotten input from other tuners I respect over the years. <BR>> <BR>> I find that my technique is very similar to Jon's below and Terry Farrell's<BR>> methods. I like to feel the pin move and if I am impacting it with the<BR>> hammer I can't feel it, I have to rely on memory muscle that a certain<BR>> impact will produce a given change for a given tightness of pin. Now when<BR>> faced with overly tight pins I am sometimes forced to move towards slapping<BR>> the pin with my hammer or impacting it. Then I'm a jerk.<BR>> <BR>> Dean<BR>> <BR>> Dean May             cell 812.239.3359 <BR>> <BR>> PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272 <BR>> <BR>> Terre Haute IN  47802<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> -----Original Message-----<BR>> From: </FONT><A href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org"><FONT face=Arial>pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf<BR>> Of Jon Page<BR>> Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 7:30 AM<BR>> To: </FONT><A href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org"><FONT face=Arial>pianotech@ptg.org</FONT></A><BR><FONT face=Arial>> Subject: Tuning lever length<BR>> <BR>> I'm a smooth-pull tuner, applying slight impact only when appropriate.<BR>> I feel the torque of the pin and overpull accordingly and make a<BR>> diminishing series of + & - motions to set the pin and string with<BR>> a final slight + motion to keep the front section of string length<BR>> at a minutely higher tension than on the speaking length side<BR>> of the counter bearing friction.  A lower tension on this forward<BR>> string segment would be more apt to allow this lower tension to<BR>> creep across the counter bearing making for a less stable tuning,<BR>> a final + lilt (nudging pin torque) braces the string better.<BR>> <BR>> As with moving or lifting a piano, apply force and increase effort<BR>> until the desired motion is achieved, don't heave your body into it.<BR>> <BR>> I carry two stationary levers 9.5" & 11.5" and a Hale 10.5" with<BR>> interchangeable heads for strut clearance. Which one I'll use<BR>> depends on pin torque and clearance issues. For concert work<BR>> I prefer the 9.5".<BR>> -- <BR>> <BR>> Regards,<BR>> <BR>> Jon Page<BR>> <BR>></FONT></BODY></HTML>