[CAUT] Key ratio measurement (was Re: moving capstans question)

[Keith Roberts]

Sometimes it cracks me up. Correct me if I'm wrong but are you guys using
scales that have an accuracy of a tenth of a gram? I suggested to a friend
we get the one that has an accuracy of a hundreth of a gram. Your hammers
range from 10 grams down to 5 grams. (give or take) So with 5 grams divided
into 88 increments that yeilds a weight change of slightly more than half a
tenth per hammer. It is senseless to use a strike weight curve unless I can
post hammer weights after the taper like, #1, 9.64 #2, 9.60  #3, 9.55 #4,
9.45  #5, 9.49  #6, 9.35

Now that could read 9.6, 9.6, 9.6, 9.4, 9.5, 9.4 or 9.6, 9.6, 9.5, 9.5, 9.5,
9.3. However with the scale we got it makes it possible to really dial in
the weight of the parts. In the run above I can see that i can switch 4 and
5 and being the bass it won't show. A tenth of a gram scale doesn't cut it
in my opinion for the proclaimed smoothness of curve. Essentially it all has
to come out in the wash when the action is reweighed and leaded.

Really we don't want to redesign the action, we want to make it work right.
We are taking the measurement of an existing action and it doesn't matter
what anybody else gets as the action ratio. 40 people can measure it and
have 40 different answers for their computer/math models but nothing has
changed in the action in question. It still has the same ratio it had before
the measurements as afterwards. We have several options. The consensus is
that 4 to 5 leads in a key is two much. I took out 4 pounds of lead. We can
lighten the hammer, we can move the knuckle, we can move the capstan and
even the heel. Sometimes we can get different whippen configs. Each one has
it's own criteria that has to be considered before using. Key dip and blow
distance really didn't change much with this capstan move but moving the
knuckle, it sure does.

Keith
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