Aha! was flat facts

Dean May deanmay@pianorebuilders.com
Mon, 28 Mar 2005 14:55:16 -0500


I think we've all done this experiment without thinking about it. Many a
pin I've turned that has barely held. If I can get the pin to stop, it
has good chance of holding the tension. But if the pin is moving when
pressure is released on the tuning hammer, it will not hold, and usually
moves 1/4+ turn. If it is a junker piano and it is a pin in the extreme
bass (which is usually the case), I know as soon as the humidity drops
that string is going to go way out. I just tell the customer that the
pins are very flakey and probably will not hold through the winter, and
I try to sell a CA job. 

Sometimes you encounter a piano with pins so loose you know they aren't
going to hold. But when you check 6 to 12 months later it is still in
reasonable tune. If they hold, they'll hold. If the static friction goes
down enough that the tension overcomes it, it will start turning. And
since the dynamic friction is lower, the pin will continue to turn until
the tension goes down enough that it will no longer overcome the dynamic
friction. When a pin slips that string goes very flat all at once, not
gradually flat. 

Dean
Dean May             cell 812.239.3359
PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272
Terre Haute IN  47802


-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Sarah Fox
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 10:20 AM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Re: Aha! was flat facts

Hi William,

I see and understand your point, but the micro-slippage I'm talking
about is
NOT with respect to the entire pin at one time.  I'm talking about
microslippages of small fractions of the mating area between the pin and
block that accumulate over time.

Dean, I also understand your point about static vs. dynamic friction,
but if
we're only talking about small portions of the entire pin-to-block
contact
area, then indeed we can be talking about "microjumps."

Y'all have my curiosity piqued.  I'll try this experiment with a little
Hamilton that has a decent pinblock but isn't very well humidity
controlled
and isn't tuned on a very frequent basis.  Perhaps y'all can help me to
establish the experimental parameters?  What minimum and maximum tuning
pin
torques??? I'll select a few pins to meet with those parameters and
monitor
them.  I'll measure the angle closest to horizontal that I can hang my
tuning hammer from these pins, as measured with an engineer's
compass/level.
Or perhaps I'll use some sort of spring-loaded clamp, as the
measurements
might be more repeatable.  I won't be able to get to it for a few weeks,
but
I think I'll definitely do it.  Sounds interesting.

Weird that this hasn't been done before!!

Peace,
Sarah


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William R. Monroe" <pianotech@a440piano.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 9:16 AM
Subject: Re: Aha! was flat facts


> Not sure if I made myself clear on that last bit, "What's more, this
assumes
> that friction is constant, whatever the pins position in the hole."
What
I
> mean is, if static friction has been overcome and the pin started to
move,
> is it not possible that after the tiniest movement, the pin encounters
a
> structural "something" in the block which results in an increase in
friction
> in that position, stopping the pin's movement?
>
> Respectfully,
> William R. Monroe
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "William R. Monroe" <pianotech@a440piano.net>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 8:13 AM
> Subject: Re: Aha! was flat facts
>
>
> > Dean,
> >
> > True, static friction is greater than dynamic friction.  However, as
long
> > we're splitting hairs here, define jump.  What I mean is, it is easy
to
> > imply that if the pin overcame the static friction it would then
make
some
> > large movement, resulting in a large pitch change.  I think arguing
that
> it
> > jumps vs. makes micro movements becomes an issue of semantics.  Your
jump
> > can be my micro movement.  What's more, this assumes that friction
is
> > constant, whatever the pins position in the hole.  I'm unsure if
this
> would
> > be the case or not.
> >
> > Respectfully,
> > William R. Monroe
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Dean May" <deanmay@pianorebuilders.com>
> > To: "'Pianotech'" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 8:00 AM
> > Subject: RE: Aha! was flat facts
> >
> >
> > > Static friction is greater than dynamic friction. If a tuning pin
moves
> > > it jumps, it does not turn in micro movements over time.
> > >
> > > Dean
> > > Dean May             cell 812.239.3359
> > > PianoRebuilders.com   812.235.5272
> > > Terre Haute IN  47802
> > >
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
[mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]
On
> > > > Behalf
> > > > Of Ron Nossaman
> > > > Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 11:38 AM
> > > > To: Pianotech
> > > > Subject: Re: was flat facts
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> I don't really buy into the "tuning pin turns" theory.
> > > >
> > > > Me either, nor the wire stretching. Music wire doesn't continue
to
> > > > stretch over time unless it's tensioned at it's yield point -
then
> > > > it stretches, necks down, and breaks.
> > > > Ron N
> > > >
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