[CAUT] hammer burning experiment

[Gary Mushlin]

Ed,

Thanks for your comment.

Can these smudges be cleaned off? I see the importance of delivering  
a clean, new action. I mostly work on older pianos, and haven't  
worried as much about it, except trying to avoid the problem as much  
as possible. I generally use butane, but sometimes it leaves smudges.  
I don't like carrying a heat gun around from house to house. I've  
never cleaned off those shanks that I was unfortunate enough to smudge.

Sincerely,
Gary Mushlin, MME, RPT


On Apr 3, 2006, at 6:17 AM, ed440 at mindspring.com wrote:

> Gary,
>
> Cosmetics matter when the customer is looking at the new action  
> you're delivering, or wants to see what you've done to their piano.
>
> For heating shanks I've used an alcohol lamp, a butane lighter, a  
> butane fire starter, and also the Weller heat gun and a small Ace  
> hardware heat gun on low heat with a 5/8" nozzle attachment.
>
> Of all of these, the heat guns are the least likely to char or  
> smudge the shanks.  They work well with the shank in a vertical  
> orientation, so the shank can be stood upright on the rail. making  
> it very unlikely that heat will strike any neighboring parts.
>
> (I'm refering here to heating shanks, not glue joints.)
>
> Ed Sutton
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gary Mushlin
> Sent: Apr 3, 2006 12:41 AM
> To: College and University Technicians
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] hammer burning experiment
>
> List,
>
> My understanding is that the blackening on the shank is generally  
> due to poor combustion of the fuel being used. This carbon deposit  
> would appear even if another material like metal was being heated.
>
> I've always understood that this carbon deposit was a cosmetic  
> problem and shouldn't impede the function of the shank. On the  
> other hand, actual burning of the wood would be harmful.
>
> Are there any comments concerning this?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Sincerely,
> Gary Mushlin, MME, RPT
>
>
> On Apr 2, 2006, at 9:45 PM, Paul Chick ((Earthlink)) wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Subject: Re: [CAUT] hammer burning experiment
>>
>>
>>
>> Jon,
>>
>>
>>
>> IMO alcohol seems to burn (blacken) the shank easier than butane.  
>> As long as the shank is held in the blue flame it won?t burn. Don? 
>> t you find this to be true?
>>
>>
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>> Subject: [CAUT] hammer burning experiment
>>
>>
>>
>> >As I said, I heat the shank at the hammer. The question I have  
>> is,  where do
>> >you guys heat the shank? How far from the hammer?
>>
>>
>>
>> I heat with an alcohol lamp and wave the flame under the length of  
>> the shank
>>
>> while holding/rotating the hammer in the corrected direction until  
>> the shank
>>
>> heats up enough to feel it 'give'.  Hold the hammer for a few  
>> seconds longer
>>
>> with no flame to set.  I was instructed not to concentrate the  
>> heat on one spot.
>>
>>
>>
>> Jon Page
>>
>>
>>
>> ?Where the flame is blue, there?s no residue.?  Steinway school.
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul C
>>
>>
>

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