Hammer felt "weight"

[Joseph Garrett]

"But the weight of the felt is initially what governs the
density of the finished article. "

Hammer felt weight does not necessarily tell you what the resilience is! You
could have 16# felt, (Measured by whose standards?);  #1 bass hammer is 2"
across the shoulder. Then you could have 16# felt; #1 bass hammer is 3"
across. Which is more resilient felt? Answer: both. If it is from the same
block of felt they will be, more/less, the same. One was pressed in a larger
caul than the other and each was skived to be pressed in a different sized
caul. Both were, essentially press with the same amount of compression. The
smaller hammer will "WEIGH" less! That is the only difference between them.
Therefore, both will be the same from a resilience standpoint. If each is
put on the proper action that is designed for the specific "weight"/"mass",
then the tonal production will be essentially the same.
Change any one of these constants and all bets are off. In short, it depends
on the hammer manufacturer. If the hammer manufacturer is pressing in an
automatic press, where each strip of felt is exactly the same size as every
other. Totally untouched by human hands. Will these be good hammers?
Probably not, unless you like "b-b"s. BUT, they will be consistant from one
set to the next! Whee! Ain't we having fun! Such is the problem with hammers
of today. You either get a set that is custom made or "cookie cutter"
hammers. Of course the "cookie cutter" hammers are consistant and the maker
is making thousands of sets and buckets of money. While the custom hammer
maker is making a few hundred and barely eeking out a living. I'll take the
cusom set any time of the year and will throw the "cookie cutter" hammers in
the trash, before I'd use them. DAMHIK! And before any of you start to give
me the crap that the "cookie cutter" hammers can be "Pre-voiced", "Made to
respond", etc., FORGET IT! If you have to do umpteen pokes in each hammer,
before hanging, etc., the hammer is crap and will give you nothing but
headaches forever. Voicing, of any kind, is Never permanent. So, the weight
of the hammer has absolutely nothing to do with anything. The ART of making
a hammer has everything to do with the final product in regard to mass,
sound, tone, attack, etc.
End of rant. Flame suit zipped up tight.
Best Regards,
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
Captain, Tool Police
Squares Are I