This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Ken Jankura=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 6:15 AM Subject: Re: Key Whakker I also use one, but why some people would make it heavy is beyond me. = As if your arm doesn't weigh enough. Also, the technique of a quick wrist = flick almost assures that you can break hammer shanks or keys at will :-) = Mine is wood, 3/8" by 3/4" by 5" with hammer felt on the end. The rectangular = shape is useful to orient it in your hand so you can turn it a little and = have better aim at the sharps. I don't tune without it. My fingers used to = get really sore, not anymore. It's attached with elastic and allows me to = play intervals or music at any time. Sometimes I'm so happy to be using it, = I break into song. Ken Jankura RPT > Terry, > At 22:39 02/05/2001 -0500, you wrote: > > >Anyone else use such an apparatus or something similar like a = padded dowel > >or such? Did the sore arm thing go away? What has been anyone = else's > >experience? > > > >I have pictures is anyone is interested. > > > Yes, many years ago I made myself a lead filled dowel with hammer = felt > glued on the end. > Pictures also on request... > > > > Conrad Hoffsommer - Music Technician -mailto:hoffsoco@luther.edu > Luther College, 700 College Drive, Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045 > Voice-(319)-387-1204 // Fax (319)-387-1076(Dept.office) > > Education is the best defense against the media. > > > Yes, I use a key pounder. Used to use two upright hammers glued = tail-to-tail. It saved the fingertips, but wasn't heavy enough. Then = a leather-worker friend of mine folded over a piece of fairly thick = leather roughly 3 in. x 3 in., sewed it up, filled it with lead shot, = and added a rectangular "foot" on the bottom, which I can replace when = it gets worn, and I've used it for more than 10 years. It's heavy = enough to give my key-pounding hand a little extra momentum, eliminating = the impact to the finger joints and fingertip nerve endings, but not so = heavy as to be tiring. I try to keep an almost-stiff wrist, letting the = weight of my forearm contribute to the blow also -- just enough to = settle the strings, not so much as to break a shank or string. I also = wear one of those tennis player elastic Ace-bandage-type wrist braces on = my pounding hand. I tune grands right-handed and uprights left-handed = to distribute the abuse, and pause often to extend my elbow, flex my = wrists, rotate my shoulder, etc. Don't stare at the tuning pins the = whole time -- look around the room, up, down, left, right. Same when = regulating; holding your head/neck in the same position for long periods = can lead to a stiff neck. I found out the painful way. =20 Another technician I know uses a small ball-pein hammer with a = rubber pad glued to the face of it as his key bonker. The one in the = current issue of the Journal looks a bit unwieldy to me, but to each his = own, I guess. I've even heard of key pounders for octaves, which I was considering = making, until I started using an SAT and didn't need one any more. =20 I can still get a sore arm if I do a two-pass pitch raise plus = final tuning on a stubborn piano, but this is rare. --Dave Nereson, RPT, Denver ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/51/fd/89/73/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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