<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html>   Farrell wrote: <blockquote TYPE=CITE>Richard wrote: "Which condition then should be most critical to adress in the action we have.... the 90 degree position of the hammer to string, or the 90 degree direction of the crowns movement to the string?" IF I am understanding all this correctly, when the hammer butt center is in the plane of the strings, we will have the hammer perpendicular to the string at contact, AND we will have 90 degree direction of the crown's movement to the string. Actually, it is the crown's arc whose tangent is perpendicular to the string at hammer/string contact. So its not either, or, but rather both. Terry Farrell <a href="https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives"></a> </blockquote> I dont think thats quite the point Terry. To begin with the butt center will never be on the string plane, and if it could be, the rake required would be too steep for the hammer to the shank. I think in the upright, one is able to push the center pin in fairly close to the strings, and angle the hammer a bit in order to get a as good a compromise as is possible. But in the grand action,,,, we have a different story entirely... hence my question. Cheers ! RicB   -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. UiB, Bergen, Norway <A HREF="mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no">mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no</A> <A HREF="http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html">http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html</A>  </html>