[CAUT] TIP OF THE YEAR!

[Fred Sturm]

On 12/29/06 12:03 AM, "kpiano" <kpiano at goldrush.com> wrote:

> I find 
> it hard to believe you can see the lateral movement of 1/2 mm or less without
> some sort of 
> reference points under the hammer heads.
HI Keith,
    It's a matter of technique. Very rapid up and down motion of the stack,
from resting on shanks (ie, the wipps are resting on the knuckles) to
approximate string contact distance (jack heel has contacted let off
button). Up, down, up down. Looking for any sideways wiggle. It's a
difference between static and movement. As the job is refined, the tiniest
movement becomes more obvious.
    Watching the hammers or shanks while they are rising means a more
complex visual challenge. You are watching for an angled movement versus a
perpendicular one. Yes, you are watching distance between adjacent ones, but
which one is correct? (Like temperament tuning <G>).
    Reference lines on an attached rule certainly solves the reference
problem, but at a cost in efficiency: needing to get your eye in the right
spot to observe movement (or lack thereof) relative to the line. Might be
more natural and efficient for some, but not for me.
    I'm not proselytizing, trying to convert everyone to my current method.
Just sharing something that has been working really well for me lately,
making a job a lot easier and more accurate for me. But we each have our own
things that we find easier or harder.

Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico