Strike length

Tcoates Tcoates@aol.com
Thu Jan 29 05:57 MST 1998


In a message dated 1/27/98 4:03:14 PM, you wrote:

<<Is there a standard measurement for the distance from the hammer shank
flange center to the strike line on the hammer?  Does anybody know how it
was derived? 

Michael Wathen>>

I use the ratio of 7:1.   1=the distance from the shank flange pin to the
point where the knuckle just touches a straight line from the shank flange
pin.  1 usually  equals 18mm to 18.5mm.  The hammer is positioned 7 times that
distance.  Between 126mm and 129.5mm.

Old Steinways are the closest to 7:1 I've found.  They seemed to know what
they were doing then.  New Steinways seem to be plagued with a hammer  that is
positioned too far out on the shank.  I have had to re-install hammers at the
correct position to make the action function properly  (Richard Steinbach's
studio S&S B).

The fallboard has to be looked at.  Generally if the hammers are too far out
on the shank, there is excessive space between the fallboard and the black
keys.  Since the hammers are brought in on the shanks, the action needs to be
pushed in towards the fallboard to compensate for the strike point change.

There are more ratios in the action,  but you only asked about the hammer
position on the shank.

Tim Coates
University of South Dakota
  



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