quick voicing poll

[Avery Todd]

Hi Jeff/Roger,

   I don't really think a flame suit OR Straight jacket will be necessary.
In the kind of situation Jeff mentioned, just about any method is fair
game to try.
   I don't know how many pianos there are Jeff, but if there are several,
and since Roger mentions that his method is not speedy, you might consider
steaming for a quick fix and as time allows try the "flushing" method.

Avery

>Hi Jeff,
>           Wet needling is the way to go. This vintage suffered from over
>doped treble hammers. A mixture of keytop and acetone. Completely saturate
>the hammers with acetone, leave for 20min for the acetone to get the
>plastic "jelly like".  Saturate again, deep needle whilst wet, at 11
>o'clock, needle about 1mm at or near the strike point.
>  In some extreme cases I have used as much as a 1/3rd of a pint of acetone
>on one piano, and have observed the white gloop staining the bottom of the
>molding.( flush it out.) Use a hair drier to speed up the drying process.
>This stuff takes weeks to fully harden so do not be afraid to over do it in
>a practice room.
>  I have experience with dozens of these pianos with this problem, I've
>tried every thing. This will not distort the shape of the hammer like
>alcohol and water, the process is not  exactly speedy either. But I can
>develop superior tone quality by flushing it inward, as it seems to give
>the working end of the hammer a very firm base, yet maintain some give near
>the strike point.
>Now for my flame suit or straight jacket.
>Regards roger
>
>
>
>At 03:53 PM 04/12/98 -0500, you wrote:
>>Without a heck of a lot of discussion, I'm interested in sort of a poll on
>>the question of voicing some obnoxiously bright, offensively loud, hard as
>>a rock, 4-year-old Baldwin "L" hammers in practice rooms for piano majors.
>>(Needling was good for about 2 weeks, but I was sore after I got through
>>with one)
>>
>>Acetone?  or Alcohol/Water?
>>
>>If you've had unwanted results/side effects with one or the other, I'd like
>>to know that also.  Responding privately is fine.
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Jeff Tanner, Piano Technician
>>School of Music
>>University of South Carolina
>>Columbia, SC 29208
>>(803)-777-4392 (phone)
>>(803)-777-6508 (fax)
>>
>Roger Jolly
>Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre
>Saskatoon and Regina
>Saskatchewan, Canada.
>306-665-0213
>Fax 652-0505