[CAUT] hammer juicing

[Nichols]

Try to visualize a "scale" of "brightness", and give us an idea about where 
you think they are now, past A5, and how far you want to bring them up. 
Like.... from a "5" to an "8", or something like that. If it's a big jump, 
pull the action. It's harder to get an even amount of juice on the smaller 
hammers anyway, so lay it over and let gravity be your friend. You're gonna 
want to start with a thin solution, and just reinforce the shoulders. One 
or two drops of thin keytop/acetone at three and nine o'clock will normally 
do the trick. You can watch from the side and see it soak to the core. 
Ideally it will leave a pie-shaped un-soaked section from one o'clock to 
eleven. Leave the crown until you've heard what the shoulder treatment 
accomplished, since there's no hurry. Fine grit filing may be all that's 
needed after that. The Hamilton usually responds well to a little string 
straightening in that section, also. Right where it drops off the plate 
termination, it's usually got a little curve towards the action. Tap them 
down, or massage them down with a brass rod. Be sure the hammers are well 
mated. That can bring up the tone and help the sustain quite a bit, 
although it doesn't help the current tuning a whole lot. Before the action 
goes back in, do something to eliminate any false beats in that area. Make 
sure dip and blow are sufficient. The strike line didn't go "up" with 
the  replacement hammers, did it? That's never satisfying.

Later,
Guy



At 07:14 PM 10/23/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>If I were to want to juice some Abel hammers on a Baldwin Hamilton, can I
>get away with just working from the top, not removing the action.   I put a
>set on this piano for my voice teacher who has since retired and sold me his
>piano.  Up to about A 5 they are very nice, but at that point they get a bit
>soft and inconsistent.  I've tried a hammer iron on them with little result.
>I suppose I could try to use the back end of the voicing tool to compress
>the felt a bit. Guess that's next before going farther. But I've never
>"juiced" anything.  What voicing "up" I have done was done for Olga Kern
>last week and I sanded lightly, and pounded the felt with good results.
>Since it's my piano, now, I am willing to experiment a bit and am looking
>for advice from people with more experience than I......
>thanks
>les bartlett
>
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