hard grand hammers

[David Love]

You can wash excess lacquer deeper in to the hammer and away from the crown 
with an acetone application.  You don't need to assist it with a vacuum 
device?.  The amount you use will vary depending on the lacquer content of 
the hammer and your goal.  It is not, however, a perfect solution for over 
lacquered hammers.  A solid mass of lacquer deep in the hammer has a way of 
destroying any resilience and tends to create a kind of thuddy tone, at 
least in my experience.  I don't know about acetone on Japanese hammers.  
Alcohol or steam seem to be the applications of choice these days.  And 
then, there's always needles!?!?!?!?


David Love


>From: "Richard Wolff" <r.a.wolff@worldnet.att.net>
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Subject: hard grand hammers
>Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 20:57:40 -0500
>
>Any comments on the following procedure (this came up during Ken Jones' 
>presentation at the St. Louis seminar):
>To soften hard hammers, saturate them with acetone, actually forcing the 
>acetone down into them with a modified vacuum crevice tool shaped to match 
>the hammer end.  I'm wondering if this is a general rule, or is it just for 
>Steinway hammers?  Will it work on Asian pianos?

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