shell-shock

[Susan Kline]

At 04:04 PM 2/3/2003 -0800, Otto wrote:
>The colored shellac on your old hammers (get a reasonable shape on them 
>first) might be an interesting study, particularly if you started with a 
>lighter shellac & went to a darker one with each application, tried 
>different dilutions, application methods, etc.; try them on an action to 
>see how they sound (easier if you have some already on shanks),

Hi, Otto.

I have some old Steinway A hammers still on (verdigrised) flanges and 
shanks, which were only lightly played in a private home. If I repin some 
of them, they might do the trick. I can try them on the same Steinway (so 
they should fit), now at an Arts Center I work at, and compare the results 
with the replacements (Abels, soaked with a very dilute solution of keytop 
and acetone.) I don't think that the old hammers were at all heavily doped 
to begin with. 1941 -- I assume that Steinway was probably doping with 
lacquer at that point. I could try a few of the old hammers with no further 
juice, just repinned, to see what I was starting with, so I could judge the 
changes better.

Yes, I think that using different colors and dilutions and trying 
successive layers might be interesting. Also, one could try keytop in 
acetone and lacquer in lacquer thinner in layers on more of the same set of 
hammers, and see what happened.

It would be fun -- don't hold your breath over how soon I can get around to 
it. But the box of hammers and shanks can sit there waiting for me. Maybe 
for once excessive stinginess may prove to be a practical advantage.

Susan