Unglued Hammerheads (Clamping)

[Farrell]

Richard, Richard, Richard. Do you not have any Aeolian spinets/consoles (or equivalents) on that side of the planet? Do you work on nothing but Bechsteins, Faziolis, Steinways (Hamburg) and Broadwoods? Have you actually replaced a set of hammers on a $500 (U.S.) piano? I've done this glue repair plenty of times. I've done it when half the hammers were coming apart. I do this for folks that want to only invest the bare minimum into their junky little piano. I would not recommend this procedure on a quality piano. Low-end/value piano - glue. Quality piano - replace hammers. The in-between pianos - talk with customer about finances, and ultimate outcome likelihood - let them decide.

IMHO this grey area (in-between pianos) lies with the (U.S. dollars) $1,000 to maybe $2,000 piano (I use numbers, but I really mean to be conceptual only).

I simply apply thick CA, kick it, press felt with finger at strike point into the molding tip and fold both (or one at a time) ends of the hammer felt down to the molding and hold firmly for a second or two. My experience is that if you are starting off with a genuine PSO (even better application for a POS!) any loss of tone on the repaired hammers ranges from minimal to none at all (often the case).

I can do half the hammers in a piano in about 30 minutes or less.

Again. Bad, yucky piano - glue. Good piano - replace. Oh, and if there is anything else seriously wrong with the junky little piano with hammer felts lying among the trapwork, it gets real easy to tell the owner to toss the piano (the hammer felt lying at the bottom of the piano is real convincing for those that need visual assurance of their piano's junk status). 

Hey, did someone say trebuchet?

Terry Farrell

P.S. Don't put so much CA on that is oozes out and you end up gluing 
        your finger to the hammer. Really screws up the strike weight (not
        to mention your next job)!
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2002 2:56 AM
Subject: Re: Unglued Hammerheads (Clamping)


Yes....moot and loofoot and all that I am sure. But WE (field
techs) do not glue hammer felt back onto the molding.  I have not
come across a tool for doing so in the field before, and wonder
if the tool you mention is appropriate at all. In anycase its a
waste of time.  Any way you add it up you are much better off
replacing heads.

Otherwise I gotta admit I misread the post.... probably because I
couldnt dream anyone would seriously consider trying to reglue
hammer felt to mouldings in this fashion that were damaged in
this fashion.

MA
Ricb

Isaac OLEG SIMANOT wrote:

>  Richard,The metal clamps yet sold by Renner are indeed
> designed to clamp hammer felt. That was done in ancient times
> eventually to glue some new felt on multi layers hammers (and
> leather too of course)Another method involved the uses of a
> wood clamp, the Erard hammers refelting are yet done as that,
> as they cant be mounted in a machine for gluing new felt (no
> tails).These clamps are very strong, the surely could help to
> clamp back some old felt, but the hammers are ruined anyway (as
> probably the piano ). And yes for sure they don't really apply
> to modern hammer making.Friendly fromIsaac OLEG
>
>      -----Message d'origine-----
>      De : owner-pianotech@ptg.org
>      [mailto:owner-pianotech@ptg.org]De la part de Richard
>      Brekne
>      Envoyé : lundi 18 mars 2002 19:05
>      À : pianotech@ptg.org
>      Objet : Re: Unglued Hammerheads
>
>      Paul Plumb wrote:
>
>     > I have been asked to reglue hammerheads that have
>     > come loose from the molding (not the shanks)
>     > because of heat in a fire.  I would like to know
>     > the best kind of glue to use if not hide glue and
>     > best way to clamp them.
>
>
>      ???? Clamping ???? We do not clamp hammerheads.
>
>
>     > Any other information that may be helpful would be
>     > appreciated.  The piano is about 30 years old and
>     > there does not appear to be any other problems
>     > except rust formation on the pins and strings.  I
>     > realize that some of the other hammers may become
>     > loose in the future and have warned the client.
>     >
>     > Thanks, Paul Plumb
>
>     > Plumb Pianos
>
>      A good wood glue should work just fine... Is this an
>      upright or a grand. Perhaps you might get a tech with
>      some experience in fire/smoke damage to take a second
>      look at this instrument. Not all problems relating to
>      fire / smoke become all the acute immediatly after
>      the event.
>
>
>
>
>      --
>      Richard Brekne
>      RPT, N.P.T.F.
>      Bergen, Norway
>      mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
>      http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
>
>
--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no