Linen

[Barbara Richmond]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 4:33 PM
Subject: Re: Linen


> >>May I ask just what kind of piano
> >
> > It's my Steinway grand.
>
> Ahh... A girl with guts !!

Guts??  Geeze, Ric, I've been a piano technician since 1982 and it's MY
piano. I have no fear of Steinways--I used to work on them just about
everyday.

No, I'm not brave, just trying out a new-to-me technique.  Better to
practice on my own piano, don't ya think?  Which reminds me that I paused
and chuckled some time back when it had been a while since I had tuned.  I
practiced tuning my Steinway, so I could go out in the world and tune a
Kimball spinet.   :-)


> Actually.. I was more thinking along the lines of what condition the
> hammers were in... Old and worn ?? Hard and packed ?? Lots of lacquer ??
> that kind of thing.

11 year old, work hardened, some lacquer.  I already used my tea kettle on
them, because I didn't have the iron yet, and they were annoying me.  It did
quite a nice job, though I had to needle a bit to even up some stuff.  I
just wanted to give isolating the steam on the shoulders a try.  Yes, I will
use moderation.

> Steaming doesnt work so well on lacquered hammers... at least not in my
> experience.

Well, dang!  In the past I used a heated concoction on heavily
lacquered university piano hammers.  It softened them enough that I could
voice the things.  In the 5 1/2 years I was there, no hammers ever exploded.
:-)   I'm afraid that now it's considered bad form, so I can't remember the
recipe.  But there was a discussion of it around '94
or '95 (as always, moderation is the word).  That's when steaming with a pot
had just come on the scene.  I had good results with steaming back then,
too, though I never tried it on those over-lacquered hammers.

BTW, I'm anxiously awaiting my debut with vodka!

> Works great on old crusties that have been really packed
> down. I feel I have mixed results with hammers like you find on the
> Samick clone family of instruments.
>
> Anyways... since you mention you have lacquered hammers... you might
> find that the steam has less then the desired affect. Still, you can try
> by zapping each shoulder for a second or two with a damp (defiantly not
> wet) cloth at about 10 and 2 oclock. Use your old finger pinch to keep
> track of the shoulder tension, and push in and out to sound the note
> frequently til you get the feel of just how much steam you need. But if
> after 3 or 4 zaps you still dont get any results at all.. then perhaps a
> needle is better suited for the job.  JMO

And thank you for your O!!

I'll let you know how or if it works or if I even decide to do it!  ;-)

Barbara Richmond, RPT