The all new Weickert felt hammer by Ronsen

[David Love]

I wonder too if the problem isn’t so much the type of press but the level of
production that the large suppliers have to maintain and the need for a
quicker way to set glues (read heat) on the hammers which changes the
consistency of the felt.  Like throwing that wool sweater in the dryer, it’s
never really quite the same.   Since wool is a very good natural insulator,
the heat required to quick set the glue must be quite high (I would imagine)
and this can only change the inner tension of the hammer, it seems to me.
Of course, I am not a hammer maker and don’t claim to know the ins and outs
of hammer production nor the methods or compromises that high production
rates would require.  Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to the details and
differences between the high and low production shops and how this might
account for differences in the consistency of the felt in the finished
product.  

 

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 Serge Harel
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 5:54 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: The all new Weickert felt hammer by Ronsen

 

Hi Dale

 

Of course this a very sensitive topic with too much of emotional reaction
sometime.

 

All the big hammer maker try to please piano factory first at the best price
so the industrial process is the priority.

Some felt like Wurzen AA work well if the hammer as a lot of tension, heat
and too much pressure broke the tension and kill the live inside the felt.
In China they are hand presses but too much heat to cure the glue and they
heat again before they slice the felt tube in individual hammer. They deep
the felt strip in some special juice before pressing all this injury a high
quality felt.

 

The better the felt the more sensitive the are that why Ray and me has good
result with our old fashion way to make hammer. 

The hydraulic could not make tension hammer like l do on the picture.

 

Thank to André to make me know about the Wurzen felt six years ago, I bring
myself to Ray is first wurzen sheet(22 pound) four years ago and he doing
good think with it.

 

There is big competition between felt maker and it's very good to all of use
Abel got nice natural felt and Wurzen got this new Weickert

thing go for a better future for the sound of the grand piano.

 

 

Serge

 

 


 

2008/10/15 <erwinspiano at aol.com>

  Hi Serge
  Good to hear from you. So, this means I must recant on the Only one the
Planet part.   I humbly do so.
  The salient point I was making  was Ray is our only source who provides
these hammers readily and commercially and, that they are made with a  Dolge
type screw press. He's the only one I/we are familiar with.  If there are
others that provide product like this we should surely be informed of it.
   I know you are  Rays friend & I knew you made hammers for your own use.
How incredibly valuable is your mutual association.
    To my defense...I'm  probably not the only one who hasn't ever heard of
the Paris firm.  As for the Chinese I hear the results are  very
inconsistent,  apparently no matter what press they use. However that could
change being the quick and bright students of any craft that they are. 
  Anyway for the last 40 years Ray & his family have & continue to be our
reliable, and dependable  supply of this type of hammer in the states & his
expertise is surely unparalleled.
 In my book he is a true Master Hammer maker. Tom..I like the Golden hammer
winner idea!
  Kindest regards

  Dale Erwin





Dear Dale

 

Sorry Dale but Ray is just the only one in USA not on the PLANET. 

The majority of the hammer head from China are hand screw press.

And there is a French maker in Paris: Desfougere that use hand presses

And I'm the only one to use the real Alfred Dolge presses

 

I do agree with all you said about the felt and how to press it and Ray do
good jog for sure.

 

 

Serge Harel

Canada

 

 


 

2008/10/15 <erwinspiano at aol.com>



 David L. David A.
  I thank you for this post. Ray is the only guy on the planet providing
hammers commercially using the hand screw press. It is this fact, which
allows for his artisan approach to hammer making., that and 40 years of
experience and dedication. Truly impressive. He'd be blushing to hear me go
on. He deserves it.
 As Will Truit said hammers and felt vary, it's the real world, get over it.
Felt making is absolutely an art form and yet densities in a felt sheet can
vary from sheet to sheet. The beauty of the Dolge screw press is that the
operator can feel how much pressure each uniquely made strip of felt
requires to achieve a narrow spectrum of density in the final product. This
so important because hydraulic presses can literally squash the life out of
felt especially when coupled with too much heat. Rays hands can feel this
pressure. I've been there I've turned the screws. It's an acquired skill to
be sure. Hey it keeps him in shape.
  
  Dale Erwin 

 

Yes it is.  And I hope people appreciate Ray and what he is doing delivering
a custom made hammer and responding to the needs and input from the techs.
Not to diminish the commitments of the other suppliers like Abel and Renner
who deliver a very high quality product but it tends to be more of a one
style fits all approach.  Ray is really trying to respond to the variety of
tonal requirements that are part of our daily bread.  There isn't anyone
else doing this with hammers right now and he should be applauded and
supported!  

David Love
davidlovepianos at comcast.net
www.davidlovepianos.com <http://www.davidlovepianos.com/>  

. I guess that's the beauty of dealing with a custom artisan like Ray Negron
at Ronsen---he can do it for us.

 

DA

 




-- 

phone 514-750-4522
cel 514-569-4414

Piano Perfecto
5932 rue Viau
Montreal Qc Canada H1T 2Y4

Piano Shop 
17 Ronald Drive
Montreal West, Qc
Canada H4X 1M9 




 

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-- 

phone 514-750-4522
cel 514-569-4414

Piano Perfecto
5932 rue Viau
Montreal Qc Canada H1T 2Y4

Piano Shop 
17 Ronald Drive
Montreal West, Qc
Canada H4X 1M9 




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