Speaking of voicing, has anyone had much luck with side needling, that is, pushing the needle in from the sides of the hammer through the entire width. There was a nice little article on this technique some months ago in the journal but I've not given it a try yet. For those of you familiar with this technique, it sounds more appropriate for older hammers, not new ones. Corte Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Z! Reinhardt" <diskladame@provide.net> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 9:30 AM Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano > Watch Roger closely in his class -- he has devised a way to steam > selectively by using only the rounded tip or the back side of a hammer iron > mounted in a 40-watt soldering iron (available from Pianotek) against the > damp linen. Keep in mind that the linen is only very slightly damp. What > gets steamed is only where the iron touched the cloth. > > Z! Reinhardt RPT > Ann Arbor MI > diskladame@provide.net > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "SUSAN P SWEARINGEN" <ssclabr8@flash.net> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 9:43 AM > Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano > > > Hello, > > But aren't you in danger of also softening the strike point when you use > steam?? > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Tom Servinsky" <tompiano@gate.net> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 5:32 AM > Subject: RE: Voicing the new piano > > > > David, > > Anyway you slice it, voicing is a temporary state. The more the piano is > > played the more temporary the voicing will remain. That being said, and > > believe it or not, steaming can have a unusually long lasting effect on > > maintaining the basic shape of sound. I'm not sure of the complete > > scientific analysis of what's happening but I think steaming forces hot > air > > pockets into the felt causing the felt layers to separate which creates > > "cushions", which in turn causes the hammer to react favorably when > > impacting with the string. Comparing that to excessive needling, which is > > constantly tearing the felt fibers, steaming is a much more holistic > > approach to voicing. Longer lasting and less destruction to the hammer > felt. > > Tom Servinsky,RPT > > > > > > From: owner-pianotech@ptg.org [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]On Behalf > > Of David Ilvedson > > Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2002 7:16 PM > > To: pianotech@ptg.org > > Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano > > > > > > Roger, > > > > What do you think is going on with the new hammer in those 6 months? Is > the > > compaction only on the surface and not really getting down into the > hammer? > > What is the sound like when your done with the ironing? Anything like the > > original? Does it really last 6 months? I'm not familiar with your > > steaming method...haven't been to a convention in awhile...article in the > > Journal? > > > > David I. > > > > > > > > ----- Original message ----------------------------------------> > > From: Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre <baldwin@mta-01.sk.sympatico.ca> > > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > > Received: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 13:01:29 -0600 > > Subject: Re: Voicing the new piano > > > > >Hi David, > > > A very light steaming over the crown every 6 months can > > > >greatly extend the life of those hammers. We have done it with some U1's > in > > >University practice studios for 5 yrs now, and no reshaping as of yet. > The > > >light steaming will just pop the grooves out. Dry iron after to set the > > felt. > > >Less invasive than needling. > > >Regards Roger > > > > >
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