Water on hammers

[Al Jeschke]

>Hi List and all,
>
>While on this subject, I just want to share the other use for woolite: Hard
>damper felts. Last year as I was working on a let's say _Lesser Quality
>Instrument_, I gave the bass dampers heads that were quite noisy this
>woolite treatment and it did wonders. At first the liquid wouldn't go into
>the felt so I had to slowly wet them but I really got them wet, waited two
>days for them to dry and they were greatly improved.
>
>Hope this can help .
>
>Marcel Carey RPT
>
>At 11:53 97-11-26 UT, you wrote:
>>Hi Ralph and Bill,
>>
>>Altervatively to water/alcohol, I have used the fabric softener Woolite, cut 
>>down with water quite a bit.  This helped a lot on a (Kimball?) or something 
>>console (so long ago I can't remember the brand).  It had been so raucous
>that 
>>the client was ready to get rid of the piano.  The Woolite fluffed those 
>>hammers enough to calm the customer.
>>
>>Rob Stuart-Vail
>>
>>----------
>>From: 	owner-pianotech@ptg.org on behalf of ralph m martin
>>Reply To: 	pianotech@ptg.org
>>Sent: 	Tuesday, November 25, 1997 7:01 PM
>>To: 	pianotech@ptg.org
>>Subject: 	Re: Water on hammers
>>
>>Hi Bill
>>As a matter of fact, Baldwin used to (maybe still does) recommend
>>isopropyl alcohol for softening their somewhat hard hammers. Some techs
>>(including me) use a wetting agent like fabric softener with it. (usually
>>a 1-7 dilution). Alcohol does the work though. The optional wetting agent
>>is for more penetration.
>>
>>regards
>>Ralph Martin
>>
>>  
>>On Tue, 25 Nov 1997 17:54:09 -0500 (EST) BSimon1234@aol.com writes:
>>>
>>>In a message, a technician wrote:
>>>
>>><<If you find one with hammers that have literally been SATURATED with
>>>lacquer, tighten the butt or flange srews and align them, file them 
>>>and soak
>>>the tips with 70% rubbing alcohol that you buy at a drug or 
>>>convienience
>>>store for less than $1.00 per pint.   The remaining 30% is distilled
>>>water, therefore, as the product comes in the bottle, it is a very low 
>>>cost,
>>>premixed shrinking solution, hammer softener, cleaner and whatever 
>>>other use
>>>you might find for it.  If your first application of alcohol to the 
>>>hammers
>>>is not enough, repeat the process.  >>
>>>
>>>My question is, why would anyone use water-laden alcohol on wool felt
>>>hammers? I would think that if the idea of washing out excess lacquer 
>>>is
>>>worthwhile, then use waterless lacquer thinner, and flood the hammer 
>>>with
>>>enough to dissolve some lacquer and have it drip out of the hammer.  
>>>Alcohol
>>>is the solvent for shellac, but use denatured alcohol! 
>>>
>>>I would think that the immediate effect of the alcohol water solution 
>>>is the f
>>>act that the water is swelling the wool felt. I would think also that 
>>>just
>>>putting stuff on and letting it dry would at best only move the 
>>>lacquer
>>>around to different parts of the hammer. You are not getting rid of 
>>>anything
>>>unless you can sactually get the lacquer out of the hammer. 
>>>
>>>I just do not see any logic to using a solution with a high percentage 
>>>of
>>>water on hammers. I have seen a lot of hammers damaged by water.
>>>
>>>Perhaps some on the list have had good experiences with waterlogging 
>>>hammers,
>>>any comment?
>>>
>>>Bill Simon
>>>Phoenix
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>Marcel Carey, RPT
>Sherbrooke, QC
>
>