Hi Susan, Yes, one does have to be careful not to overdo it or you have to repin the flange. The flat piece of metal I used at the end of the wire was about one fourth inch wide and I cut it down to a point at the end and put a tiny bend at the very tip so you could get to a pin that was slightly buried in the excess bushing felt. If used properly they can save a lot of time since you get almost immediate results. Bud At 01:04 AM 11/28/00 -0800, you wrote: >>Back in the fifties I made a littl gadget we called a shocker for >>sluggish flanges. >> >> Bud Schwab > >Thanks, Bud, for inventing the zapper. I got a couple from Mr. Mehaffey. >While one >has to be careful with it, to avoid charring the birdseye, it can be a >real godsend. >I remember once in a private house, tuning a very old Steinway for a wedding, >a few of the damper underlevers were sticking, and they were the glued on >type. >A split second of zap for each, and all was well. Another time I went to tune >a miserable short grand for a very sick and poor old lady, who was also very >anxious. The jacks were sticking throughout. I just suggested she go and >take a >little nap, gave a short jolt to all the jacks, and when she came back the >piano was working fine and I was half way through the tuning. > >It's not without risk, but with care it can really save the day. > >By the way, I've found that when zapping where the cloth overhangs and it >nearly drives you crazy, trying to find the center pin ends, that I can >use one >of Don Mannino's broaches to point at the center pin, and touch it with >one side of the tweezers. So far I haven't fried the broach to oblivion, >though it has turned blue on the end. > >Susan Kline Bud Schwab W 6 Z Y P Malibu, california
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