[CAUT] Down Weight Too High With New Hammers

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Paul,
                Remove a few wippens and burnish the grub slot to remove 
all traces of the tallow/graphite mixture, polish the tips of the rep 
springs with Flitz metal polish.
coat tip of spring with Protek grease, burnish a light coat into grub 
slot.  You will have a pleasant surprise.

I bet you do all 88. :-D

The only short cut you are taking,is not replacing the repetitions, but 
budgets are budgets, you do what you can with what you have.  There have 
been many small size and geometry changes over the years and mixing and 
matching old with new rarely works.

Regards Roger


At 02:53 PM 8/23/2010, you wrote:
>I installed pre-hung S&S hammers on the '70 S&S D, forced to use original
>repetitions because of budget considerations.  With the regulation only
>"roughed in," the down weight feels too high to me when I play it.  Now I
>find it's measuring in the range of 55-60 grams throughout.  I have
>addressed friction in every area except removing and cleaning repetitions.
>I can't believe rep spring grooves, etc., would make that much of a
>difference; they don't seem that bad.
>
>The new hammers are hung on NY improved shanks with knuckle further out.
>
>I compared hammer/shank/flange #44 from the original and new sets, and there
>is, if I remember correctly, about a 2 gram difference.  But the originals
>are so beat, I don't know if it's a very meaningful comparison.
>
>Would mixing original 1970 reps with NYI H/S/F cause the geometry to be that
>different?  I was told by David Kirkland that I could "make it work,"
>although using older repetitions wasn't first choice.  I know the hammer
>weight changed in 1984, but understood that using NYI shanks and flanges
>would be all the compensation that was needed for the additional weight.
>
>By the way, the upweight measures roughly 28-30g.  Also a little high, no?
>And it seems to me there's a lot of lead in the keys, but I'm definitely no
>expert.  Doesn't this imply a somewhat too-heavy hammer?
>
>I don't mean to be taking any shortcuts here, but there are time constraints
>and a balance/compromise that must be struck with all the other instruments
>I'm responsible for.  This one is starting to drown me.  Just wondering if
>this touchweight issue is common when putting new hammers on a Steinway D
>from this period, and if there is a typical or common remedy or approach to
>solving the problem.
>
>This is only my 3rd set of hammers, and my first set completely on my own.
>I'm thinking of attending the PTG hammer hanging class with Mike Carraher
>and Keith Bowman in October.  Any thoughts on whether I'll learn skills in
>addition to hanging (determining bore angle, etc. and boring hammers, I
>assume?) that might help me fix this?  Will they address how to arrive at
>final touch weight?  I want to learn!  Guess I should contact Mike or Keith.
>
>OK, now I've exposed my near-total ignorance in this area and am
>embarrassed.  Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>--
>Paul Milesi, RPT
>Staff Piano Technician
>Howard University Department of Music
>Washington, DC
>
>
>
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