Kimball grand replacement hammers

[Roger Jolly]

At 08:19 AM 9/24/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Lance --
>
>Before you totally give up on the old set you might try steaming them.
>Electric kettle half full, steaming away, swing the hammer head in and out
>(don't let it sit in the steam). Light filing completes the job, to restore
>the squareness to the strike face. You can be done in 1/2 hour, and it makes
>a dramatic difference. If even that doesn't do the trick, you'll probably
>need to replace them.
>
>I think there's some stuff in the archive about this. Search: "steaming
hammers"
>
>Susan
>Hi Susan,
          Good advice on any of those extremely hard Japanese or Korean
hammers, I'd like to share an alternate method of steaming down hammers
thats a little more controlled, and more usable in a customer location.
  Tools required:
                 1. An electric voicing iron.
                 2. A voicing block that fits between backchecks & wippens.
                    I have a 10" block for this job
                 3. 18"X 5" strip of Irish linen.
Step one, prop up the section that is to be ironed so the tails of the
hammers are firmly seated.
Step two, wet the cloth and wring out excess water.
Step three, iron over the wet cloth to inject steam into hammers.
Step four, reistall action into piano check for sound. reapply as required.

  Once you get use to the technique you will find it has several advantages
over the kettle method.
  You will quickly find you can do the complete operation sitting on the
bench and resting the action in your lap.
  By inverting the iron you can lower the percussiveness by just dabbing
the strike points. After some practice you will find you can control volume
and attack semi independently, almost like neddeling the various zones, If
you want volume reduction without greatly changing the attack, then inject
the steam at 2 o'clock on the shoulder.
 I have been using this technique for a goodly number of years and untill
the last few years only shared the imfo with dealer techs who would agree
not to use my name. Now I'm out of the closet.
 To the guys in Calgary please stop calling me the closet steamer.
>From the far North
Regards Roger Jolly 















Roger Jolly
University of Saskatchewan
Dept. of Music.