Slow hammer return

[Farrell]

If the piano has verdigris, I think the conventional wisdom dictates a new action.

If it does not have verdigris, I have had excellent luck shrink-treating the action centers, and if needed, follow-up with Protek CLP, and if still needed, naphtha and mineral oil. Seems to work well better than 90% of the time.

Shrink treating is wetting the action center bushings with a water/alcohol mixture (ratios not critical, I usually go with about 50/50 - just so that is soaks in readily - that's what the alcohol is for) and then letting dry overnight. I usually put a fan on low and point it toward the action.

Keep in mind, this approach is designed to restore FUNCTION. It is not meant to obtain any given/preferred friction amount.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arthur Chickering" <chikring@midcoast.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2002 11:37 AM
Subject: Slow hammer return


List,
I have a customer with a 1921 Steinway Upright with very slow hammer return, which I think was caused by a floor humidifier.  I  heated the hammer butt centers with a hair dryer, which freed up the hammers for about 1 hour. The questions is what do you think is the most reliable way to free up sluggish hammers without replacing center pins or parts?  Should I use silicone and naptha, alcohol and methanol or install a Dammp-Chaser heater bar with a humidistat?

Thanks,
Arthur