Hi Michael, A. use some "sound reinforcement" with a monitor for the pianist--instant results and performer controlled. B. Iron the hammers--instant results C. a light coating of hair spray--full results in 2 to 3 hours D. More traditional doping methods. At 08:40 PM 5/15/2005 +0100, you wrote: >Hello Rik & Andre and List >I am trying to establish the fastest method of hardening the hammers of this >old upright German "Katz" which is used on stage in "Bartered Bride". Right >now we are still in rehearsal and it is very soft sounding. I have regulated >the touch and the set-off to bring the hammers within about 5mm from the >strings - which is pushing my luck somewhat as a lot of the butt springs are >broken! Even so it is very soft-sounding. At the moment we are countering >this to a degree by removing the front panel and kneeboard. Fortunately >there's a music desk on the fall. I have the following potions :-) Apsco >#425 Hammer Felt Reinforcer (that'll take you back a few years?). Very >pungent smell. I also have a small can of Humbrol Nitrate Cellulose Dope - >this is usually used to taughten the paper tissue skin applied to model >aircraft. (great fun!) The Apsco stuff can, I believe, be thinned down using >Acetone (nail varnish remover - more smelly stuff!) as required. Given the >scenario and with the action on its front (hammers "up") what, in your >opinion is the best, fastest and most effective way to harden those hammers? >:-) >----- Original Message ----- >From: "antares" <antares@euronet.nl> >To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org> >Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2005 1:18 PM >Subject: Re: Re voicing hammers > > >> >> On 15-mei-05, at 13:14, Ric Brekne wrote: >> >>> Hi Andre >>> >>> My own choice is cellulose lacquer. Its one of the softest, and >>> springiest lacquers available. It always struck me that if one first was >>> too use lacquer, then a lacqure with its own kind of resiliency was a >>> sensible choice. Dries fast, results show themselves in about an hour and >>> cures completely in a day or two (at least in the amounts used in hammer >>> dopping). >> >> >> Sure, that's why I had no negative opinion about it, other than the fact >> that it dries up fast and is therefor a little harder to carry around. >>> >>> 'some technician' - has observed that lacquers and other hardning agents >>> tend to coat the fibers of hammer felt making them brittle and >>> essentially destroying their resilent capabitlites. So a chemical that >>> simply causes the fibers to tension up a bit...(shrinking) without any >>> other affect would perhaps be the ideal. Havent tried any such thing >>> yet... shying from chemicals as I do, tho I have bumped into a bit of >>> reading on the subject. >> >> All hardeners clot the wool fibers up to a degree. that's why they are >> called hardeners. >> I am against them on principle except for the outer extremities of the >> keyboard i.e. the highest notes and the lowest notes. >> >>> >>> As for collodium .... grin... you are wrong about its primary benifit >>> Andre ! In reality that is its ability to make all future use of mind >>> expanding drugs totally redundant !! :) >> >> >> Ah but I like collodium because it does show a result after 1 hr and >> especially for the fact that it is easy to carry around. If I want to get >> high, that makes it all the more attractive as well ... *((: >))) >> la-la-la-la-la.... >>> >>> Oh.... and Terry... yep.. some folks are out there hardening Yamaha >>> hammers. Usually because they have been devastated by softening agents, >>> over steamed, or just plain needled to death. Strikes me that in spite >>> of all the ingenious alternative methods our American allies have for >>> doing things differently... too many over there have forgotten, put >>> aside, or otherwise ignored developing and maintaining needling skills. >>> No reflection on those who can mind you. One striking difference between >>> voicing problems one runs into here in Europe visa vi those in America >>> (based on personal experience) is that in America you find tons of cases >>> of hammers mauled one way or the other by the uninitiated tech. Where as >>> in Europe... the vast majority of voicing problems have their basis >>> simply from a lack of voicing maintainance done. >> >> And in the case of Quentins remark about hammer dope used on Yamaha's : >> He indeed means applying some hardener on hammers belonging to a CFIII-S, >> the concert grand which has ..... Wurzen felt. >> usually the lowest and highest Wurzen hammers could use some extra >> 'spritz', that's the price for less needling and easier needling. >> >> greets >> >> >>> >>> Cheers >>> RicB >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Andre writes: >>> >>> /My "weapon of choice" is collodium (or collodion) because it is a >>> natural hardener, mixed with alcohol and ether. >>> >>> The ether smells badly for a short time, but the advantage of this is >>> that it is easy to apply (with a pipette), easy to take along (in a small >>> glass bottle) as a standard tool case item for the traveling technician, >>> it will stay the way it is (it does not harden out but stays liquid), >>> after 1 hour we get a result and after 1 day the >>> stuff has done its work completely/ >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives >>> >>> >> friendly greetings >> from >> André Oorebeek >> >> www.concertpianoservice.nl >> >> "Where music is no harm can be" >> >> >> > > >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives > > >-- >No virus found in this incoming message. >Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.10 - Release Date: 5/13/2005 > > Regards, Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T. 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