Beware! Worn out tuning tip.

[Paul]

Johannes
I've been using a tuning hammer that was given to me by my mentor about 25
years ago. It belonged to his father, who bought it from Tuner's Supply
Co.around 1900. It's an Hale hammer and tip (#2). I didn't use it
extensively until about 5
years ago. The tip is not threaded to the shaft as is today's hammers. It is
a tapered fit, that had a nasty habit of coming loose and falling on or into
the piano. I cleaned the joints and tapped the tip on the shaft and since
have had no trouble. But I've often wondered if the tip was worn or could be
worn. The fit to the pin is snug, and it has a great feel to it, but I have
little experience with other hammers to know if my tip fits properly to the
pin. All my tunings are solid. I, too, would like to know how to recognize a
worn tip and for that matter should one always use the tip number to match
the pin size i.e. # 2 tip for # 2 pin.

Paul Chick
----- Original Message -----
From: <Johannes28@AOL.COM>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 23, 2000 10:20 PM
Subject: Beware! Worn out tuning tip.


> Greetings to all!
>
> I have had a rather unpleasant experience recently.  I did not realize
what
> happens when a tuning hammer tip gets worn out, or ruined.
>
> So what happens?  Well, I went to tune a couple of pianos and had to go
back
> through them many many times before they would hold.  Mind you, these
> instruments were at A440 already and get tuned about once a month.  So I
knew
> that the pianos not holding was not because of the need for a pitch raise.
> They are good pianos with good tight pins so it's not that either.
>
> So, there I was, tuning and tuning and tuning and tuning and tuning and
> tuning and tuning over and over again.  It was awful.  Hours of that.  I
> would get it tuned then notes started slipping.  So, in went the mutes and
> here we go again.  When this awful nightmare showed up on the next piano I
> went to, I started hunting for the problem.
>
> I noticed that my hammer tip was a little jiggly - not snug on the pins.
And
> yes, it is the right size for the pins.   Before this terrible problem
occured
>  all my tunings have been quite good.  I figure it's just gotta be that
loose
> fitting tip.  I can't wait to get a call into my piano supply company in
the
> morning and have new tips shipped to me as soon as possible.
>
> Anyone else have this problem before?   Let me warn you, have extra tips
on
> hand just in case.  I think perhaps I might have ruined my tuning hammer
tip
> somehow.  The best part of having an awful problem is being able to solve
it.
>  At least I can laugh about it now.  At the time I was rather freaked out
to
> say the least!!
>
> Johannes Spannung
>
>
>
>