[CAUT] lanolin in hammers

[Fred Sturm]

	(The relevance of the subject line will become apparent eventually.)
	I have in my inventory about 10 Steinway Bs from the early 60s. They  
were over 20 years old when I started, and since that time most of the  
hammers have been replaced. I think I have three with original  
hammers, in voice studios where "it doesn't matter too much as long as  
they are mellow" (which I have mostly accomplished with surface work).
	One of these voice profs has been after me recently to improve the  
tone of his piano, and since new hammers are at least a couple years  
away, I thought I'd see what I could do with the existing hammers. I  
have always found these hammers very problematic. They are not  
terribly dense, but they are murder to get a needle into. The felt  
resists every bit of the way, and it feels and sounds like tearing  
fibers all the way. And it is hard to get the needles back out as  
well. The needle tool needs to have its screws VERY tight or they will  
stay in the hammer. Doesn't matter if three, two, or single, it is the  
same. When I press the needle(s) against the surface, the surface  
gives - makes a dent - so I know it isn't a matter of no space between  
the fibers, but the needles simply don't want to penetrate.
	I have been experimenting with fabric softener on shoulders to help  
allow easier needle penetration, so I decided to try it on these old  
Steinway hammers. And it worked marvelously. I used a formula of about  
4:1 Isopropyl alcohol (91%) to softener (Downy unscented), saturating  
the shoulders where I wanted to deep needle. Not soaking to the core,  
but just that area. I did this last spring, and I followed up  
yesterday and found that the effect is still there. The needles slide  
in very slickly, feel like voicing a normal good hammer, and they pull  
out nicely as well leaving no obvious hole.
	My thinking is that it is a question of friction, that there is too  
much friction between the wool fibers and the needles. It's not a new  
observation - 30 years ago I was told voicers commonly wiped their  
needles through their hair every few insertions (in the says of  
"greasy kid's stuff"), to make it easier to insert them. But some  
hammers are quite slick for voicing when brand new, like the Abel  
Naturals. Even though they are relatively dense. We are told that the  
felt for these hammers is washed and processed with less harsh  
solutions, and maybe some lanolin is added back in (I seem to remember  
hearing that from Wally or Helmut).
	So it occurs to me that perhaps it might be possible to add lanolin  
to the shoulders of hammers like the ones I described. I am a little  
uncomfortable with the softener, especially at such a high  
concentration. But a lower concentration doesn't do the job. I would  
like to experiment with lanolin as a substitute, and wonder if anyone  
else has been down this road and has suggestions. The first question  
is what to use for a solvent/vehicle. So far I have tried alcohol (iso  
and denatured) and acetone, which don't dissolve it; and lacquer  
thinner and VMP Naphtha, which do, though with a good bit of stirring.  
Applying this to shoulders of a couple "scrap" old hammers I have  
around, with similar resistance to needle penetration, is at least  
somewhat promising. A second question is what lanolin to use. I got  
some "100% natural lanolin" from the health food store, decided  
against "100% lanolin oil." Those were the choices on that store's  
shelf. I'm sure there are hundreds of formulations out there. The one  
I bought is rather stinky, like a wet sheep, and I wouldn't mind a  
less natural, less smelly formula.
	BTW, as an aside to this, I am willing to state that those Steinway  
hammers of about 1963 have not a drop of lacquer or other hardener in  
them. I see and feel no evidence, anyway.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu