voicing up

[David Love]

At what level is the hammer not bright enough?  If it only needs brightening
up on the very surface (weaker on softer blows but even on harder blows),
then a drop of acetone/lacquer at 5:1 of 6:1 will bring it up.  You don't
want to saturate these hammers though.  If the hammer is too soft deep
(weaker on hard blow) then I would first try setting the hammer on a wood
block, and with a small hammer (combination handle style) or the back of a
voicing tool pound the you know what out of it right on top of the crown.
Hold the hammer firmly with your left hand and try and pack the felt down to
the core with several major blows.  Refit the hammer to the strings and see
if there is improvement.  Do this a few times.  You can also try saturating
the hammer with pure acetone (assuming it has no chemical hardeners in it).
That seems to shrink the felt slightly and firm up the hammer.  If that
still doesn't work, I would consider hardening the hammer with
acetone/lacquer at 7:1 or 8:1.

David Love

David Love


----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike and Jane Spalding" <mjbkspal@execpc.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: November 14, 2002 1:57 PM
Subject: voicing up


List,

Today I tuned a Kawai 500 (5' 8" grand) that I had regulated and voiced
about 6 months ago, a teaching piano that gets a lot of use.  She asked if I
could do anything about the C#6, which didn't have near the power of its
neighbors.  Here's what I did:  Listened, dull attack and short sustain.
Neighbors ring bright and long.  Swapped hammers with D6, dullness moved
with the hammer, put the hammers back where they belonged.  Polished with
1200 grit silicon carbide strip, some small improvement.  3 needle stitches
in low shoulder, no effect.  Ironed strike point, tiny improvement.
Re-pinned, went from infinite swings to 5 swings, some small improvement.
Filed off a layer of felt and polished with 1200 grit, significant
improvement.  Final result, much improved, but still not as bright or long
as the notes above and below.  The question is, What can I do to bring this
note up without lacquering it?  Left on my own to decide, I would keep
filing and polishing, maybe do some i!
roning after that.  Is this a good approach?  What would you do?

thanks

Mike Spalding, RPT


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