Voicing down hammers

[David Love]

If you needle in a direction which is more tangent to the outer part of the
hammer leaning the handle of the voicing tool toward the strike point, you
will be able to loosen the outer layers of felt and release tension from the
hammer overall.  The needles may only penetrate 3-4 mms below the surface
using this method but you will be surprised out how effective it is-easier
on the hammers as well.  Don't hesitate to stitch in very close proximity to
the strike point but the needles should at that point be pointing toward the
shoulder of the hammer.  Trying to drive the needles in a direction more
perpendicular to the outer part of the hammer will simply break a lot of
needles and won't be effective.  I really think that soaking them in alcohol
just ruins them.  

 

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Erwinspiano at aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 7:08 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: Voicing down hammers

 

          David

  These are fairly extreme.  I'm sure the usual needle technique as you
described works well in the hammers on the south side of note 50 ish but
higher up this set seems like stone.  I'll experiment on a few to see which
way will work best. They aren't hung yet & I'm trying to salvage my
investment.

 After doing some hammer sampling I'm installing a set of the PIano-tek
supplied Abel Performance hammers on a BB Mason & for my money,  As far as
really dense hammers go, the needles still go in easily albeit firmly &
doesn't have the essence of concrete. They are very heavy though.  I
suggested to Mark at P- Tek that they make a lighter version of this & he
says it's in the works.

 Dale

 

 I would only use that in extreme situations with felt that has lost all
tension from over heating or pressing and must simply be made less dense
overall.  The Renner blue, while it is generally harder than I prefer, is
not that type of hammer and will respond to traditional needling procedures.
I have voiced many new MHs and other manufacturers using RBs using this
procedure that seemed like would not be able to be voiced down on first
listening.  Trust me, the hammers will respond.  

That being said, I do wish that the hammer manufacturers would figure out a
way to dial in specifications on hammer density (or be more open buyer
requests) so that they could really be custom ordered.  The trend with both
Abel and Renner is still too hard for most of my needs.  

 

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com 

 





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