[pianotech] Steam Voicing

[Avery Todd]

I just tried to find the post that Roger wrote some years ago on steam
voicing (I think he posted it on the list) but couldn't find it. I did,
however, find this reference to the PTJ article. According to Roger, there's
an article in the May 1999 Journal.

Avery Todd
Houston, TX

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 10:28 AM, Terry Farrell <mfarrel2 at tampabay.rr.com>wrote:

>  Julia - The best way to steam voice hammers is the Roger Jolly method. He
> has published articles in the PTG Journal describing the method - he has
> also lectured on the subject. I don't know what issue has the article -
> maybe someone else knows.
>
> The method is basically as follows: Cut several maybe 3" by 12" pieces of
> cotton material - like bedsheets. Dampen them. Lay the damp material over
> the hammer strike points. Take a hot iron with the brass ironing caul
> (Pianotek sells them) and iron the damp material with the hammer underneath.
> The hot hammer instantly heats the water in the cotton and turns it to steam
> and applies it directly to the hammer. One needs to experiment a bit at
> first to learn how hot to make the iron and how much water to put on the
> material. Once you get that down the process is extremely fast, effective
> and controllable. You can reverse the process by dry ironing the hammers. I
> use this method almost exclusively when doing extreme voicing (turning NASTY
> hammers into something resembling a piano hammer).
>
> If the hammer is properly glued, it will not cause any problems. I've never
> had a hammer come unglued, and I've done this hundreds of times.
>
> Terry Farrell
>
>  On Sep 15, 2009, at 9:56 AM, KeyKat88 at aol.com wrote:
>
>   Greetings Will,
>
>         No, I have never tried steaming them. What do you use, a
> clothes/vallet steamer? Hot rag?
> Won't steaming them cause them to unglue/unravel?
>
> Thanks
> Julia Gottshall
> Reading, PA
>
> In a message dated 9/11/2009 3:25:22 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> wimblees at aol.com writes:
>
> Julia
>
> Have you tried steam voicing these hammers? It's amazing how soft you can
> get them.
>
> Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT
> Piano Tuner/Technician
> Mililani, Oahu, HI
> 808-349-2943
> Author of:
> The Business of Piano Tuning
> available from Potter Press
> www.pianotuning.com
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
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