Softening hardened damper felt?

[Thomas Winter]

On Tue, 16 May 1995, Walter Sikora wrote:

> I'm working on a grand that has a little buzz when the dampers seat.
> The felt has hardened just a little, otherwise fine, and the dampers
> have nice even lift and are regulated well.  Does anyone out there
> know of "magic potion" to soften damper felt without removing it?
> Walter Sikora, RPT
>

I have had success lightly brushing the felt (and I do mean lightly) with
a small brush I got from a tobacco shop.  I think its original purpose is
to clean pipe stems.  Its shaped like a miniture bottle brush, the brush
itself is about 1/8th of an inch in diameter and about 1/2 inch long. Its
mounted on a flexible wire handle.  Its only a temporary solution, but it
has gotten me out of some tight spots, for instance, ten minutes before a
concert.

Thomas Winter
San Francisco State University