Hammer Butt Alignment

[Roger Jolly]

At 04:01 PM 4/16/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Avery Todd wrote:
>>    Next week sometime, I'll be installing a set of hammers/shanks/butts
>> on a Mason & Hamlin vertical. Something I have not figured out yet,
>> probably because I haven't done enough verticals, is how to end up with
>> a nice straight line of butt catchers when you're finished.


Greetings Avery,
                 First thing to check is your new hammer shanks, I have a
board of kitchen counter top material about 12" X 20", prop up one end of
the board about 3", if you let the shanks roll down the board you will soon
spot the warped ones. Discard any that wobble, save you a ton of work with
spaceing later.  The new butt flanges I very lightly sand with 220 grit
sand paper to remove swarf, saves on travel later. Use the correct drill
size bit to check that the butt, shank hole is clean from swarf, just
rotate the drill bit with your fingers, after all you are just ensuring the
hole is clean.
  Remove back rail felt, check rail for sraightness, if O.K. use as a guide.
dry fit the straight shanks, rotate the dry shanks and observe catcher
movement, this a double check for straightness of shanks. 
  If you have correct fit, shank to butt, you can check for the really
badly travelling shanks and correct accordingly, normally this procedure
produces a really nice straight catcher line. Having said this, I usually
find a few badly glued in catchers, depending on how gross, I'll reglue or
put them in the high treble.
  The big key here is working with straight shanks.
  Once I've glued the shanks in place, I'll re-travel and space the shanks.
Remember to correctly orientate the grain of the shanks as this will effect
the stability of your straight line.
Have fun Roger.
Roger Jolly
Balwin Yamaha Piano Centres.
Saskatoon/Regina.
Canada.