hard grand hammers

[Kevin E. Ramsey]

    Actually, acetone alone will make regular, non-lacquered hammers,
brighter, not softer. It works almost as well as key top solution. Steam and
alcohol are good "starters" for a voicing on really hard hammers, but you're
still going to have to get out the ol' needles. Period!

Kevin E. Ramsey
ramsey@extremezone.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@hotmail.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2001 8:35 PM
Subject: Re: hard grand hammers


> 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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