S&S Hammers

[A440A@aol.com]

Richard asks: 
<< 3.  How can you dope the shoulders of a hammer and not have it wick 
across the crown? 

By applying it at about 9:00 and 3:00 o'clock, heavily.  I usually have 
sanded the sides of the hammers, and the residual red of the underfelt fibers 
wicks in front of the harder, leaving a tell-tale line, or "water-mark" on 
the side of the hammer.  When it is done right, there are two half-moons of 
lacquered area emanating from the clock positions.  When they meet just at 
the tip of the core, there is some un or lightly lacquered felt between the 
tip of the core and the strike point.  It is in the shape of a curve-sided 
wedge, and when I get here, I am usually really close to what I am finding to 
be the optimum sound.  
   A hammer like this needs 20 hours of play to begin showing the fullest 
spectrum of tone, but the combination of well-supported, resilient felt under 
the slight hardness of the string marks will produce tone like nothing else. 
I also find that this is a fairly durable treatment, allowing continual 
voicing as the hammer is filed down through its service cycle.  
    With the totally soaked hammers, I think the tonal compass is shrunk, and 
the longevity shortened.  A "shell" is easily treated by adding a drop or two 
to the sides where you want them.  
Just my .o2
Regards, 
Ed 








 My experience is that if you don't get enough dope on 
the first application, you may never get the piano out of the mellow 
range.  Not enough dope creates what Steinway calls a "shell" that 
prevents penetration of second or third applications of laquer if it is 
needed.  >>



Ed Foote RPT 
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html