hammerheads

[Ted Simmons]

I'd like to give the list a description of what happened to me about a year
ago.  I went to tune this lady's piano and in talking to her before the
tuning I found out that some other technician had installed new hammers for
her.  However, they sounded like she was playing with Q-tips, very soft and
not to her liking at all.  The piano was an Acrosonic spinet and did not
have the usual brilliance in the upper treble that most Acrosonics have.
When she complained about the sound to the technician who installed the
hammers he told her that they will sound better after the piano is played
for a while.  A year had passed and she disappointedly said that there is
no noticeable change and she plays the piano daily.  I remembered a class
that Steve Fairchild gave at a convention many years ago on hardening
hammers.  So I dusted off my notes and phoned her a price estimate to make
those hammers ring out.  She agreed to the price. Here's what my notes said
about the Steve Fairchild Hammer Hardening Method. (Steve, if you're on the
net and want to throw in a comment or two, please do).

        Make 4 mixtures of a lacquer & lacquer thinner solution as follows
                20 parts thinner to 1 part lacquer (20:1)
                15 parts thinner to 1 part lacquer (15:1)
                12 parts thinner to 1 part lacquer (12:1)
                 6 parts thinner to 1 part lacquer (6:1)

        DO NOT use water white clear lacquer. Use High solid clear gloss
lacquer which has an amber cast color.  Use a good quality thinner that
matches the quality of the lacquer.
                Use 15:1 in the bass double strings
                Use 20:1 in the bass single strings
                Use 12:1 in the treble beyond the dampers
                Use 6:1 on the last four treble hammers
                Use 20:1 for the remainder

This is the treatment I gave the lady's hammers and I told her to let it
dry overnight.  The next day I received a call from her exclaiming that the
piano never sounded so good, not even when it was new.  I told her I wanted
to check it out and maybe do a little voicing to even out the tone.  When I
got there I played chords from the bass on up and the piano sounded
terrific!  The upper treble sounded like bells.  She was ecstatic and very
appreciative.  Me?  I was walking on air.  Thanks Steve Fairchild, wherever
you are.

Just wanted to pass this on as a successful lacquer-hardening procedure.

Ted Simmons


>When I asked the question about dopes, I mean doping hammerheads, I hoped
>there would be all kids of contradictory arguments, and it looks like
>some of that has taken place.  Frankly it has been tremendously helpful
>because it means there is considerable freedom for exploration, and
>"mistakes" without ruining one's career.
>
>I am very appreciative of all the discussion that has occurred in the
>last week over the hammerhead issue, and hope there will still be others
>who will add to the experiencial pot.  My horizons have been expanded by
>the discussions, and I hope that others can see there probably isn't a
>"right" way.
>
>Thanks for all the input, and for any more that might be included.  I
>have taken all this and transferred it to hard copy for later study.
>
>
>Leslie Bartlett M. Mus
>Houston Chapter PTG
>lesbart@juno.com