Are you sure that Steinway still dopes the entire hammer?
Laurence
----- Original Message -----
From: David Love
To: caut at ptg.org
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 2:24 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer-Lac
My only issue with that beefing up the shoulders only on a Steinway hammer is virtually useless. The hardener must wick into the core of the hammer underneath the strike point. While applying it that way seems more cautious it may not accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Recall that Steinway dips the entire hammer into a solution. Another concern with the brush approach is that it can harden only the outer layers of felt and maybe only the very top of the hammer leaving the area under the strike point still too soft. That can create a weird effect where the piano is bright when you play it soft and dull when you play it loud. The hardness at the tip of the hammer gets swallowed up, as it were, when the underlying hammer structure collapses on loud playing.
Anyway, so I'm an advocate for using a dropper of some sort and allowing the solution to wick in from the shoulders underneath the crown and then allow it to creep toward the crown stopping before it actually gets there. I'm especially careful at the bottom of the tenor bridge and the top of the bass bridge where end of the bridge effects can create some problems anyway. The treble section is different and letting it go to the crown is advisable in my view. I also use different strength solutions for different sections. The solids content dictates the solution generally but I use about 9:1 for the tenor and bass and about 6 or 7:1 for the treble (from about F5 up).
David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of D Marie Jones
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:43 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer-Lac
On the shoulders, just below the strike-point-app. 1/4" in total length on & just over the shoulder. The solution quickly soaks into the felt. I dip the paintbrush in the solution, wipe one of the brush sides on the solution jar lip and apply. Hence, there is not much solution in the brush (which I prefer).
At the Steinway Touch & Tone course, Kent taught us to use just a small drop of solution directly onto the shoulder & let it soak in.
D Marie Jones, RPT
Kalamazoo College
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From: davidlovepianos at comcast.net
To: caut at ptg.org
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 07:30:20 -0800
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer-Lac
Where do you apply it with a paintbrush, what part of the hammer?
David Love
www.davidlovepianos.com
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of D Marie Jones
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 7:12 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer-Lac
Hi Paul,
I've used it with good success on Steinway hammers (new & older). Though the directions suggest a 4:1 thinning ratio (which I use on occasion when the tone is extremely "deadened", I prefer a weaker solution of 8:1 and build up slowly for very specific voicing. I apply a very small amount of the solution with an artist paintbrush (sized the width of the hammer head)-I feel this offers more control than the "drop" method-on the shoulders. I've had consistent results bringing up the tone in the 5th - 7th octaves, especially, when needed.
D Marie Jones, RPT
Kalamazoo College
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To: caut at ptg.org
From: pwilliams4 at unlnotes.unl.edu
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:27:11 -0600
Subject: [CAUT] Hammer-Lac
Hi All,
I just received a flyer in my package of new bi-chord agraffes for a product called "Hammer-Lac" Voicing Lacquer. Has anyone used this stuff yet?
Curious,
Paul
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