[CAUT] Self voicing hammers/work hardening

[Horace Greeley]

Hi, Fred,

At 11:34 AM 5/31/2005, you wrote:
>On 5/23/05 11:07 PM, "Susan Kline" <skline@peak.org> wrote:
>snip
> > I did try very dilute keytop/acetone on a few notes once, and I must admit
> > that I heard that spicky clicky sound ever afterward, even after needling
> > -- though I didn't go so far as to try to soak it out with acetone.
>snip
> > Regards,
> > Susan
>
>     Eric Schandall's method of applying keytop/acetone includes, after
>applying a small drop or two to the crown surface, waiting about 7 seconds
>(meanwhile inserting action/keys into cavity), then pounding each note you
>have keytopped several times while shifting the action with the shift pedal.
>This serves to "break it up while it dries," maybe drive it a wee bit below
>the surface. At any rate, it reduces the need to needle afterwards to a
>considerable degree. Often no needling is needed.

The problem with this solution is that both acetone and keytop is/are 
transferred to the steel strings, where the acetone (virtually) instantly 
accelerates whatever rust/scale build-up is already in progress.  (It also 
does a pretty good job of messing up whatever shift voicing may have been 
present.)

As to driving it "a wee bit below the surface"...unless the solution is too 
strong to begin with, this argument fails on its premise.  That is, if the 
solution is sufficiently thin to avoid the "spicky clicky" sound to which 
Susan refers, it is also sufficiently thin to have penetrated the hammer 
more effectively and efficiently than any amount of "pounding" can 
realistically be expected to produce.

Sorry - this simply does not fly.

Best.

Horace


>     Eric likes to use those 1 oz hypo bottles Schaff sells. I like them, too
>(the red cap is amazing in reducing evaporation to nil for months, and the
>one oz size is great for tool box), though I prefer the needle on the 2 oz
>with fine needle (I think both Schaff and Pianotek sell it). I wish the tops
>were interchangeable. But you can take a piece of rubber mute, poke or drill
>a wee hole in it, and use it for a tip guard on the fine needle that will
>also keep evaporation to nothing.
>Regards,
>Fred Sturm
>University of New Mexico
>
>
>
>
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