[CAUT] Tuning Hammers

[Kent Swafford]

On Jan 24, 2006, at 10:57 AM, James Ellis wrote:

> If you analyze the geometry, you will
> see that you are better off with a medium head and a 5 degree bore  
> than you
> are with a super-short head and a super-high angle that puts the  
> force -
> your hand - way up in the air above the plane that's perpendicular  
> to the
> tuning pin.
>
> No way would I use any tuning hammer with a 20-degree bore head.

I'm not arguing the geometry point; there is every reason to believe  
you are right.

But -- I used a 5 degree head for two decades, and then tried a 20  
degree head and knew immediately I had found a new home. It felt right.

There is one huge benefit to using a "super-short head and a super- 
high angle" and that is the leveraged weight at the end of the lever  
when tuning grands. A short head is lighter and can move from grand  
tuning pin to grand tuning pin with ease. The weight of a larger  
head, leveraged as it is when tuning grands and holding the lever  
from a ball end, just feels wrong, awkward, unwieldy, etc. The  
difference in weight between a short and long weight is very  
noticeable because the weight of the head and tip are leveraged when  
tuning grands and holding the weight in horizontal position so far  
away from the hand.

Choose your poison.


Kent