>Does anyone have experience using the clear liquid hammer softener sold by >Pianotek? >If so, how long does it take to work? How much do you usually use? Does >it perform differently on some hammers i.e Steinway, Baldwin, Renner, etc. >Do the results last very long with heavy use of the piano afterwards? > >Susan Willanger RPT Hi Susan, I don't have any experience with the Pianotek product you described, but you can make a very serviceable (and inexpensive) hardener yourself with materials you may have on hand. I would suggest combining 1 part _undiluted_ sanding sealer with 10 parts acetone. Apply one or two drops directly on the crown of the hammesr and brush their tops lightly with a suede brush when they are completely dry, which will be in a matter of minutes. The acetone, which evaporates quickly, acts only as a carrier and deposits the small amount of sanding sealer down into the crown. Brushing will remove any crust left over from the sanding sealer. If you wish to, you can decrease the ratio of acetone to sanding sealer to achieve a more dramatic result, but this 10-to-1 ratio works very well for us at UT. We use this method on NY Steinway hammers, Renner Premium Blues, and Ronson's with equally good results. Good luck! Tom Seay The Unversity of Texas at Austin t.seay@mail.utexas.edu
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