Hammer boring fit was: Re: TOOLS/Hide Glue, etc

[David Love]

Depends on how wobbly.  Too loose isn't good, but I like some movement so
that I can adjust angles slightly to smooth out the fanning and square up
hammers when boring isn't perfect.  If you use hot hide glue it has
excellent gap filling properties and will form a nice collar that takes up
the slack well.  With thinner wood glues a better fit is more important.

David Love

----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg Torres" <Tunapiana440@cox.ne t>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: May 13, 2002 6:39 PM
Subject: Re: TOOLS/Hide Glue, etc/Isaac Oleg's post


> THIS was my main gripe on my previous 'rant' about the Steinway
> hammers/parts/...
> I also like a hammer bore that is a fairly snug fit. It should never be so
> loose as for hammers to wobble. And for Steinway part's dept. to say that
is
> normal just blows my mind...
>
> Best,
> Greg Torres
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Delacour" <JD@Pianomaker.co.uk>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Monday, May 13, 2002 7:12 PM
> Subject: RE: TOOLS/Hide Glue, etc/Isaac Oleg's post
>
>
> > What is a standard hole?  The hammers should be bored so that they are a
> very tight fit on the shank before knurling.  The shank should then be
> rolled through the knurling machine to reduce the diameter so that the
> hammer can be turned without creaking for about 20 seconds after gluing.
> After that it should become too tight as the moisture from the glue
> re-expands the compressed shank.  The hammer should never at any stage
have
> any wobble, let alone 'fall'!  If the hammers are carefully bored, hammer
> fitting is straightforward provided you follow the proper procedures.  To
> have to rely on "wobble" for fore-and-aft positioning is a sign that the
> hammer heads have not been bored properly -- and there is at least one
> well-known German hammer maker whose speed exceeds his exactness.  I
always
> bore my own and save myself a lot of trouble.
> >
> > JD
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>