Thank you, D. Stanwood and JD. Old ways is best ways sometimes, yes? I am humbled by your wells of skill, craft, and knowledge. In your debt, David Andersen On Feb 17, 2009, at 9:30 AM, John Delacour wrote: > At 08:28 -0500 17/2/09, David C. Stanwood wrote: > >> ...Bill Garlick taught us a technique which is very useful on these >> cold pressed hammers as a really safe way of using lacquer for >> building drive in the tone. Tip the stack up on its side and add >> some lacquer to the felt just above the tip of the moulding... do >> one side then turn it around and do the other... It gives >> foundation to the tone without having any deleterious effects on >> the surface of the felt and maintains a beautiful ppp quality that >> is the hallmark of a cold pressed hammer. The technique is >> consistent with the Dolge model of voicing. > > Yes, this is the way I do it when I need to use lacquer/dope. Since > I rarely find this necessary except sometimes in the high treble, I > apply the dope with a needle -- one single toning needle in a > holder. I lay the hammer on its side, dip the needle into a > container of lacquer and push it into the hammer at point round the > tip of the moulding. This is done from both sides. This way there > is absolutely no risk of putting in too much and having it wick up > to the crown. If a second application is needed, more dope can be > injected round the moulding and there is little risk of it going to > far because the first application has already formed a barrier. > > Brinsmead is the only maker I know from the old days who regularly > lacquered hammers and I think it was probably done with a hair > pencil. They used shellac, applied near the tip of the moulding. > > I would never let any dope or lacquer near the crown of the hammer > and am surprised to hear some people do. > > I also differ from some Americans on the list in considering hammers > that are soft from the box defective. The hammers I buy are always > just a little on the bright side and can be toned to perfection > using only radial needling for the basic work. This goes for > hammers covered in a variety of felt including Wurzen's. > > JD > > >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC