(The relevance of the subject line will become apparent eventually.) I have in my inventory about 10 Steinway Bs from the early 60s. They were over 20 years old when I started, and since that time most of the hammers have been replaced. I think I have three with original hammers, in voice studios where "it doesn't matter too much as long as they are mellow" (which I have mostly accomplished with surface work). One of these voice profs has been after me recently to improve the tone of his piano, and since new hammers are at least a couple years away, I thought I'd see what I could do with the existing hammers. I have always found these hammers very problematic. They are not terribly dense, but they are murder to get a needle into. The felt resists every bit of the way, and it feels and sounds like tearing fibers all the way. And it is hard to get the needles back out as well. The needle tool needs to have its screws VERY tight or they will stay in the hammer. Doesn't matter if three, two, or single, it is the same. When I press the needle(s) against the surface, the surface gives - makes a dent - so I know it isn't a matter of no space between the fibers, but the needles simply don't want to penetrate. I have been experimenting with fabric softener on shoulders to help allow easier needle penetration, so I decided to try it on these old Steinway hammers. And it worked marvelously. I used a formula of about 4:1 Isopropyl alcohol (91%) to softener (Downy unscented), saturating the shoulders where I wanted to deep needle. Not soaking to the core, but just that area. I did this last spring, and I followed up yesterday and found that the effect is still there. The needles slide in very slickly, feel like voicing a normal good hammer, and they pull out nicely as well leaving no obvious hole. My thinking is that it is a question of friction, that there is too much friction between the wool fibers and the needles. It's not a new observation - 30 years ago I was told voicers commonly wiped their needles through their hair every few insertions (in the says of "greasy kid's stuff"), to make it easier to insert them. But some hammers are quite slick for voicing when brand new, like the Abel Naturals. Even though they are relatively dense. We are told that the felt for these hammers is washed and processed with less harsh solutions, and maybe some lanolin is added back in (I seem to remember hearing that from Wally or Helmut). So it occurs to me that perhaps it might be possible to add lanolin to the shoulders of hammers like the ones I described. I am a little uncomfortable with the softener, especially at such a high concentration. But a lower concentration doesn't do the job. I would like to experiment with lanolin as a substitute, and wonder if anyone else has been down this road and has suggestions. The first question is what to use for a solvent/vehicle. So far I have tried alcohol (iso and denatured) and acetone, which don't dissolve it; and lacquer thinner and VMP Naphtha, which do, though with a good bit of stirring. Applying this to shoulders of a couple "scrap" old hammers I have around, with similar resistance to needle penetration, is at least somewhat promising. A second question is what lanolin to use. I got some "100% natural lanolin" from the health food store, decided against "100% lanolin oil." Those were the choices on that store's shelf. I'm sure there are hundreds of formulations out there. The one I bought is rather stinky, like a wet sheep, and I wouldn't mind a less natural, less smelly formula. BTW, as an aside to this, I am willing to state that those Steinway hammers of about 1963 have not a drop of lacquer or other hardener in them. I see and feel no evidence, anyway. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico fssturm at unm.edu
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC