Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Tuner-Technicians Forum How deep into the tuning hammer should pin go?

I just bought an inexpensive tuning hammer, and my upright pins will insert to about 9/16" deep into the socket. Is this an adequate coverage, or is the socket too small?

There are many cheap imitations of tools around. The one you have is probably inadequate and breakable but until we know the size if tuning pins in your piano it is impossible to say.

Always buy tools from a recognised specialist in piano tools. They also make inexpensive models which are a far better value than some unknown make.

You want the tip to be as close as possible to the coil and without a lot of looseness. That's why different size tips are made. I generally work with either a #2 and #3. I have a #4 in reserve if needed. A #1 on a gooseneck hammer for some small pins and a thinned-wall #2 (on a tip adapter) for tight quarters. And not all of the same size tips are the same from different manufacturers, sometimes from the same manufacturer.

+1

Understood. So the tip of the hammer is normally removable? This is the one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3PTMFK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can't tell if it's removable from that picture. To remove or install a tip, you need Schaff part # 11 (Tuning lever tip wrench) or the equivalent. I would add to Jon's remark the tip should be close to the coil without touching it. A tip on the coil is a tip placing pressure on the becket - which can lead to broken strings.

I use Watanabe # 1, #2, Hale # 3, a long # 2, and a thin wall. Each is pre installed on an extension rod, so changing tips is as easy as slipping in a new rod into the extension hammer.

The tuning hammer you linked to is a starter hammer. If you are serious about tuning, you should get a pro level hammer.

That is a cheap gooseneck hammer and the distance from the shank to the tip is too long. You will induce too much flagpoling.

It is more important that the tip not touch the coil than that it be seated as far down as possible.

You get what you pay for.

Joe, I seem to recall you're an auto mechanic. What quality of tools do you use in the shop?

You must be thinking of a different Joe.
I understand the importance of quality tools, Im just a noob to piano tech (learning, though!) and did not realize there were different sized tips (and pins) available. Ill be getting a higher quality hammer as this one seems like it just wont do the job.

Suggest you look in the recent archive here for an offer from Dan Levitan.

I second the recommendation to check into a Levitan hammer. I have a Levitan classic and am very happy with it. Very simple, very stiff, extremely well made.