<font color='navy' size='2' face='Comic Sans MS, sans-serif'><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2">Hi Joe</font> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> I'm sure the archive are filled with our banter about this but here goes. </font> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> A 6 to 1 ratio means for every mm of key movement the hammer moves a corresponding amount. SO lets say 6 mm of key movement equals 36 mm of hammer movement. That's the 6 to 1 were talking about. What one actually measures could be whatever the action says. In general the  ratios we find and are in the desirable range are between 5 to 1 and 6 to 1</font> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><font size="2">Many action systems used a 6 to one ratio.ie Steinway for a century at least. What this means is that the system will only tolerate light weight hammers, and the regulation will require a shallow dip</font><b><font size="1">(,,370- .375/10 mm at the pin) </font></b><font size="2"> and a long blow distance.</font><font size="1">(1 7/8th /48 mm)</font><font size="2">If heavy hammers are applied to a </font></font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">system</font><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> design at 6 to 1 the touch will become heavy. Installing leads to compensate only makes matters worse with increased inertia. Moving the knuckle from 15.75 to 16.5 or 17 will lower the ration. This allows for a bit more hammer weight to be carried with less leading and less inertia. The regulation will need to change as well. Shorter blow & a longer dip/key travel.</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2">In many cases simply moving the knuckle will not yied my desired ration of 5.5. The next move is moving the capstan towards the balance rail to lower the ratio further.</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2"> I'm sure others can elaborate and explain this better and more thoroughly and it can be more complex as David is pointing out. but....</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2">  I think you get the idea.</font></div> <div><font color="#000080" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif" size="2">Dale</font></div> <div style="color: navy; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br> <br> <div style="clear:both"><font size="1" color="royalblue"><b><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, Serif"><font color="black"><font color="mediumblue" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Dale Erwin R.P.T.<br> <font color="green">Erwin's Piano Restoration Inc.</font><br> </font></font></font></b></font><font color="darkgreen"><span style="font-style: italic;"><b><font size="1"><font size="1" color="black"><font color="blueviolet"><font color="black"> <font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Mason & Hamlin</font><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">/Steinway/</font><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">U.S. pianos</font><font face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif"><br> </font></font></font></font><font size="1" color="cornflowerblue" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">www.Erwinspiano.com</font><font size="1"><br> </font><font size="1" color="crimson" face="Comic Sans MS, sans-serif">Phone: 209-577-8397</font><br> <font color="darkgreen"></font></font></b></span></font><tt><tt><font color="darkgreen"><br>  </font><br>   <font size="2"></font></tt></tt><br> <br> </div> <br> <br> <div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br> From: Joseph Garrett <joegarrett@earthlink.net><br> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Wed, Jan 16, 2013 3:37 pm<br> Subject: Re: [pianotech] measuring action ratios<br> <br> <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_cfdc4635-d77a-4b6d-9e42-7961cbe4616a" style="margin: 0px;font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif;font-size: 12px;color: #000;background-color: #fff;"> <pre style="font-size: 9pt;"><tt>Thanks to all with the pics of gauges, etc. Now, to my main question: Once you have done this bit with the gauge and the math, and you have this ratio number, .... what do you do with it? Or, to put it another way: what does the number tell you? Or: Of what worth is this number? Or: what does it all relate to? Anyone care to give "us" the straight poop?<G> Regards, Joe Joe Garrett, R.P.T. Captain of the Tool Police Squares R I </tt></pre> </div>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </font>