Flexible collodion for voicing hammers

ginacarter ginacarter@email.msn.com
Fri Dec 10 16:11 MST 1999


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Horace,

As of two weeks ago when I talked with Bob Lubtek, according to him the =
factory does not use plastic. Steinway Hall/basement does but the =
factory still uses lacquer/thinner.

Like you I don't care for that plastic sound either, but I do admit your =
sugar/water mix does intrigue ones imagination. :-)

Gina
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Horace Greeley=20
  To: caut@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Friday, December 10, 1999 4:24 PM
  Subject: Re: Flexible collodion for voicing hammers



  Mike,

  At 03:11 PM 12/10/99 -0400, you wrote:

    >
    > "keytop"  (which, by the way, is not what is used at S&S).

    -So what is S&S using?

  OK, at the risk of being accused of being coy, the direct answer is
  that I do not specifically know what is used _today_.  The last time I =

  talked with Michael Mohr about this, it was 1995/6, and I was tired of
  waiting for keytops to dissolve, and tired of the sound I got from the =

  grumbled up bits of plastic sold by various supply houses...(OK =
(again),
  I didn't like the sound of the keytops, either).  Anyway, what Michael
  told me then is that they were using the same grumbled up bits of=20
  plastic, only they got them from Rohm Chemical in drums.

  Aside from the tonal issues, as that is so much an issue of taste to =
begin
  with...what I really object to with the plastic is that, once the =
acetone
  is gone, there you are...usually until you install a new set of =
hammers.
  I know that many other folk feel very differently about it.  It surely =
is
  much faster than many other methods.  Still, as Ghandi said: "There is
  more to life than increasing it's speed."


    (It's wise to know exactly what's already applied before adding any =
more
    concoctions)

  Yes.  Even then, there is a very long history of line workers using =
non-
  standard things for hardening.  I am not sure you ever really "know" =
what
  you have unless you start out with brand new hammers.

  I remember one visit to the Kimball factory and watching one of the =
"voicers"
  start out with a freshly installed set of those little brass mallets, =
err,
  I mean, hammers they used to make by completely dousing the entire set
  (several sets at a time, actually) with 6:1 thinner/lacquer.  The =
event
  answered some questions I had had about why the Viennese edition =
instruments
  had a certain, ah, quality about their sound.


    Thanks-

  My pleasure - Actually, I would be glad to know if anyone has more =
up-to-date
  data on this.

  Best.

  Horace

  (p.s. - Mike, caught any freights lately?)

  h

  =
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  Horace Greeley,                         email:  hgreeley@stanford.edu  =
=20
  CNA, MCP, RPT                          =20
  Systems Analyst/Engineer                voice:  650.725.9062
  Controller's Office                     fax:    650.725.8014
  Stanford University
  651 Serra St., RM 100, MC 6215
  Stanford, CA 94305-6215

  =
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