shell-shock

[Otto Keyes]

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Hi Steve,

I second John's advice.  I prefer not to use lacquer for heavy duty =
hardening, but only for a quick (easily removable) "skin" for emergency =
touch-ups, using acetone to take it into the hammer a bit & keep it from =
getting zingy on the crown.  But that's another topic that nobody wants =
to talk about.  :-)

I find better results from an acetone & keytops mixture.  Quicker =
results (faster drying) more predictable, better voicing control/needle =
penetration, lends itself to repeat doping if necessary, etc.  I start =
with a lighter solution (say 1 keytop to 6-8 oz. of acetone), since the =
acetone allows for repeated application, & for some reason, the plastic =
in the keytop seems to disperse more evenly without making a rock out of =
the hammer.  Kind of like the difference between voicing a golf ball =
with or without the plastic cover on.  One could assume that half a set =
of keytops in a set of hammers would create all sorts of voicing =
challenges, not to mention the extra weight, plus that of all the =
needles you would leave in them.  Last spring I dug about 20 needles out =
of a set of hammers that I was filing -- looked like a lawn full of =
gophers until I went over them again.  Fortunately it came out sounding =
okay for the quality of piano it was.  Unfortunately, it needs voicing =
again, so I may try a shot of vodka.  If it doesn't work on the hammers, =
I'll give some to the pianists so they don't notice how bright it is.  =
:-)

Anyway, you should be able to soak the lacquer farther in toward the =
moulding with acetone, but it may take several applications to soften it =
up.  Just make sure you have plenty of ventilation (probably not the =
campus smoking pit) or you may have touble finding your way home.

Otto


----- Original Message -----=20
  From: John Ross=20
  To: College and University Technicians=20
  Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 1:13 PM
  Subject: Re: shell-shock


  Soak it in acetone, and try and get the lacquer to drip out.
  Roger Jolly, has mentioned it in more depth. So check the Pianotech =
Archives.
  By the way, searches are so much easier now.
  Regards,
  John M. Ross
  Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
  jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: Steve Kabat=20
    To: caut@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 2:21 PM
    Subject: shell-shock


    Yo list-=20
        I'm afraid that in lacquering a set of Steinway D hammers I =
started with too weak a solution(5:1), and now after multiple =
lacquerings I still have no "punch" in the treble from about E56 to the =
top.  The lacquer (3 and 4:1) at this point is just not penetrating to =
the tip of the molding as has been suggested in many of the fine and =
eminently valuable posts I've been poring over lo these many months. =
What's a tuner to do? I can hear that the sound is weak or "hollow" in =
the treble compared to the lower end, but am frustrated because I feel =
that I need to get something deep into the hammer but it ain't goin' =
there. Any suggestions would be most welcome.  Steve Kabat
    s.kabat@csuohio.edu=20

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