Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum So what tool(s) do you techs have....

Schaff #262? I use mine fairly often. The last time was Sunday. It was not for a bass string, but a tied treble note which slipped off the hitch pin. I do not use it much for twisting bass strings, but whenever I need to put a string back on a hitch pin, it is really handy.

The spring loaded one? I am wondering what the problem is.
Never had a problem with this tool.

When I went to school for piano tuning our first tools came with a small Kennedy tool box. The thing is indestructible but doesn't hold a lot and isn't very practical for a tuner. However I used it for years until I got smart a recently and now I keep all my tools in an old flour sack. I lose tools frequently now because it's ripping out at the bottom but at least I don't have to carry that heavy tool box anymore. :p

I do not use the jig to glue hammers (Spurlock). Having access to the hammers allows a better gluing, in my opinion.

it is useful for vertical hammers, however, so I use it for that.

Some of the English made handle/blade tools sold in the 80's are badly designed and made in second grade steel. none of them have survived. German made tools did.
But today you can buy tools that look neat but break when they are used, from some German providers as well.

I do not use anymore the hammer extractor that use a bolt, pliers are way more efficient (Apsco style)

and also those tuning tips where only a strip inside the tip have the star shape. they wear fast and rock soon on the pin.

No more use of the Mannino style reamers, too agressive, and generally useless as the cloth can be burnished to size usually, or changed if too much worn (the result of corroded centers, the cloth is only too much compressed at one loctation in most situations)

WIth time , I use less and less tools, when going on site.

yes I find it very useful (replaced with small vice grips if not at hand)

Yes it is a very good tool for some actions. sold in 2 versions, for smaller actions (more bend))and more standard ones.

On old actions sometime not enough space to use it, the S shaped spoon bender is standard (action inclined)

I thought it was a machine to make the long twisted loops. (that one is really easy to use and make automatically the last coils)

But those German loops are so much faster to do by hand on a hook, or even using round nose pliers, I do not see much interest to use that sort of setup. They may be tighter when done by hand , also, and if you know how to make the simple loop you will do the double one easily)

Hi Isaac,
You are correct; that looping machine will make the German or the English loop. Here are some English loops I made with that machine.

English loops

My mistake there. What I meant was the instructions that come with the unit for making the German loops are not so good. But if the instructions are used in reverse, going counter clockwise instead of clockwise then the German loops come out real good.

Hmm, that might be a good use. Thanks!

hi Dan, I see, my looping machine is different , may be more practical. The length of the twisted part is regulated, as with yours, but the part that make the coils have a pressure handle to hold the wire during the twisting. Then when you have enough twists you release a little and the coils are made. If well setup the coils are made automatically without releasing but it is useful to be able to master the amount of twisting.

Those machines are easy to use but if too much twist are done the wire may break. a little training is necessary.

best wishes

This machine has a drag or brake on the length and there is a chart to measure how long you want the tail and how many loops. There are a few of these looping machines made.

Yes a little practice to make good coils. When I first started I smashed quite a few. Even still the wire can be pinched easily and if you don’t notice the string breaks when pulled up. Especially with the German loops as they are much weaker and have to be offset to the leading side.

sorry for the OT, Emmery



where the string length is bend the hole is conical, that is how the coils are made.

Yes Isaac, that is the configuration of the other looping machine available here in NA.

I have been interested in getting that one because I believe it is the better machine.

Ben,

Rather than searching the archives, I've sent you an e-mail with Bill's damper timing method. Fortunately, when he posted it a while ago, I saved it to my hard drive.

Hi Mark,

Great, thanks.

Ben

Thanks Dan Silverwood for the guidance. If I can find that old APSCO loop tool I'll give it another shot.

Hey Dan,

No problem glad to assist. Contact Schaff, as I believe they still sell the APSCO loop maker along with the other one that looks very much like Isaac’s set up.

Get some old wire and practice a bunch over and over. That is what I did and found the reverse worked better for certain tasks. For the English loops I had to make a dozen or so before they looked decent enough to use.

Best of luck,