[pianotech] Hide Glue

[David Renaud]

Hello

    As one who did. It wrong before "getting it right" , and as one still on a journey seeking improvements; currently I am digesting and exercising  some of Stanwood's protocols.perhaps I can speak To some of the pitfalls of hanging hammers in a persons home. I tied in once in home, long ago. I choose not do that again.

    Here are a few of my challenges hanging hammers, pitfalls, and improvements I made 
Over time, some of which I could never do in a persons home.

1) in shop the action is out and on a bench with really good light. Upright in an action cradle.
    I can see the lines from the front, the back, from the side eyeing down the hammer line.
    I have enough challenges making an accurate line without being constrained by limiting
   Lines Of sight with the action in the piano. I do a much better line of hammers in the shop.
    Rulers, square, light, table with good lines of sight.  

2) In the piano I am tempted to space hammers to the stings without consideration to 
    Other problems. I may find myself compensating for poor travel or bad string spacing 
     From a previous poor restringing. I have fallen into the trap of offsetting hammers to 
     Compensate for other errors, ending up with a less then perfect line and spacing. 
     Furthermore, turning a hammer to hit a string when travel is wandering, compensating 
For the error with another error, also means the hammer is twisted and not square with the string for good hammer mating. 
      My priorities are a perfectly straight line, nicely spaced. Square. Side to side can be adjusted 
In the piano later to meet the. Strings, hammers are not turned, they are spaced, and must remain square to the string.
       You get the picture. Yes I have made more then one mess in my life. Surmised, this point 
Is on a bench I use a square, big metal rulers, good light, good lines of sight. In the piano I 
Am tempted to skew things to compensate for other errors.

3). Hammer weight. how are adjustments made in a home.
     I have weighed off hammers with a gram scale to a tenth of a gram for some time. Now I 
     Am beginning to weigh off strike weight and make corrections removing or adding weight 
     As required to achieve defined targets. How to I sand and grind hornbeam or mahogany
     In a persons home, making all that wood dust.  How do we work on correcting weight variations due to wood molding Density variations, and other variable factors in a home, making all that mess. 

 4) I like hide glue.
      
     I have heard reports of improved tone with nice hard crystal hide glue, I wonder about that.
     That would make a cool experiment, replace a hammer that is cured hide glue with some
     Modern more plastic glue. Same hammer, same piano, same hammer fitting.....see if there is 
     An audible change.   Anyone tried this. Any solid evidence for the tonal superiority of hide glue
     Or is this wishful thinking.

Don't have all the answers, but have made good progress working it out.

                                                      Cheers
                                                       Dave Renaud       

Sent from my iPad

On 2012-03-21, at 1:03 AM, Duaine Hechler <dahechler at att.net> wrote:

> On 03/20/2012 11:39 PM, Joseph Garrett wrote:
>> Duaine said:
>> "It is called "getting it right" - I put on the new hammers - with - the
>> action in the piano - so that each hammer is
>> lined up and hitting the strings right - as well as - being correctly
>> spaced and turned to the right angle !
>> 
>> Your way - means bringing the whole piano to my house - right ?"
>> 
>> Duaine,
>> You sometimes border on real and other times just plain dumb! There are
>> better ways to do what you call: "getting it right". Sheesh! You really
>> need to mentor with a good rebuilder, imo.. And, NO, it does not mean that
>> the piano has to be moved! (shaking my head in total disbelief.)
>> Joe
>> 
>> 
>> Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
>> Captain of the Tool Police
>> Squares R I
> Since my original mentor is not handy and you seem to have all the answers - I'm all ears ...............
> 
> How would YOU go about hanging the hammers ?
> 
> Duaine
> 
> -- 
> Duaine Hechler
> Piano, Player Piano, Pump Organ
> Tuning, Servicing&  Rebuilding
> Reed Organ Society Member
> Florissant, MO 63034
> (314) 838-5587
> dahechler at att.net
> www.hechlerpianoandorgan.com
> --
> Home&  Business user of Linux - 11 years
>