Water on hammers

[Delwin D Fandrich]

Billbrpt@aol.com wrote:

> ....You may have
> noticed that there are 2 types of fingernail polish remover available in the
> cosmetics section of a drugstore:  regular acetone based (oily with mineral
> oil, and non-oily without) and "Non-Acetone".  Fingernail polish is lacquer.
>  The Acetone will strip it off but if you don't like the harshness of
> acetone, the "non-acetone" kind, which is really isopropyl alcohol will work
> just as well.
>     So, either solvent will break down the lacquer....
>
>     Bill Bremmer RPT
>     Madison, Wisconsin
>     "I have only one real enemy...mediocrity"

Either solvent will not break down all types of lacquer. Much of the lacquer used in finishing these days formulated to be
alcohol resistant. One of the tests it is put through to determine it application suitability is to leave standing alcohol on
a fully cured lacquer surface for varying periods of time. It should escape unscathed.

I know nothing about the formulation of nail polish or how it is tested for application suitability.

My only reason for suggesting acetone -- the regular kind -- is that it does soften and dilute all of the normal types of
lacquer commonly used to harden hammers. Unless the technician uses some special formulation, this is most commonly the same
lacquer used for finishing the case work of the piano. Done properly, at least some of the hardened lacquer can be diluted
and washed out of the hammers without otherwise altering them. If you just soften the lacquer without washing it out, what
has been gained? Once as much of the lacquer has been washed out as will come out, then one is free to use whatever other
voicing techniques seem appropriate.

Another question: Since some technicians and even one factory that I know of use plastic (as in keytop scraps dissolved in
acetone) as a hammer hardening solution, it might be nice to know what effect alcohol has on this material.

(There is another approach, of course... design and build the piano in such a way that no hardening solution of any kind is
needed on the hammers. But that's another story.)

-- ddf