Tuning Hammer Tips

[C. Mike Swendsen]

At 11:27 PM 2/23/96 -0700, you wrote:
>Tuning hammer tips wear out after a couple years or so. I have received a
>new No. 2 hammer tip for a Hale hammer from Am. Piano Supply (APSCO). It
>just seemed like it didn't fit deep enough on the tuning pin for a No. 2. On
>a very tight pin it seemed like the tuning pin might even break. So I
>ordered a No. 3. Guess what? The No. 3 is actually smaller than the No. 2.
>So now I have two new tips and can't use either.
>
>Has anyone else experienced this problem? I'll call APSCO and probably get
>this worked out. Anyway this would be a good time to have some chatter about
>tuning hammer tips. Is there some standard measurements for these tips or
>does each makers just estimate?  Apparently they vary among makers.
>
>At one of the conventions years ago someone suggested using No. 3  for most
>tunings. Some tuners I guess change tips for each particular piano. I tried
>this once but found it difficult. I'd rather have two hammers but then I'm
>not willing to carry both in my kit. Naturally if the piano has  larger
>tuning pins than No. 2 a larger tip is necessary.
>
>Let's hear your ideas on this topic.
>
>Sy Zabrocki--Billings, Montana
>only4zab@mcn.net
>
>
>The hammer tip I like best is the Watanabe #2 it seems to work well with
all sizes of pins even 6-0 pins.  Just yesterday though, I tuned a new
Steigerman (read Pearl River lookalike, which was actually better that I
thought it would be) and the pins were almost too small.
Mike Swendsen

>