Do you mean you haven't treated them at all? If not, you don't need to remove them to treat them, just lacquer them in the piano. Just soak them from the shoulder and let the lacquer wick up so that it fully loads the hammer under the crown. Go right over the top in the upper section. Let it dry overnight and go back and play each note a few times while using the una corda pedal shifting back and forth which sometimes breaks up the crustiness that forms on the top. Take a piece of 120 sandpaper and just break the edge on the left side of the hammer where the lacquer tends to collect and build a nice crusty ridge that will ping with una corda engagements sometimes. Then go in with a through the string voicing tool and check single string voicing to smooth over any unwanted standouts in any group of unisons. Then go through and balance it. If the upper end needs yet another soaking one more is probably ok. If the lower end of the piano needs more do it from the side of the hammer on the next application so it doesn't tend to wick up over the crown and not get underneath the crown where you need it. Remember that lacquer continues to harden for weeks after the application. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T Williams Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 7:30 AM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] Bum set of NY hammers, I'm afraid Hi again all, This set is lackluster from the bottom to the top. Perhaps they sent me a non-prelacquered set. I kept the old hammers and shanks, so I might switch them out, bring the new set to the shop and soak the crap out them with a 4:1 mix. I guess I have nothing to lose and education to gain from this. This is my first set of NY Hammers. I've been using Wallys Naturals for years. Maybe I shouldn't have messed around in a new world. I would have put on another set of Abels, but the piano dept head insisted on Steinway hammers as he's a "Steinway Concert Artist". I perhaps shouldn't have said anything, eh? and just used what I know how to use. What's to expect from Hamburg hammers? Never used those either. Keep em coming. Thanks guys! Paul From: Dale Erwin <erwinspiano at aol.com> To: caut at ptg.org Date: 02/10/2011 07:32 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] Bum set of NY hammers, I'm afraid _____ Paul What vintage is this? And what was your starting protocol. ie hardening solution.? Did you probe these hammers with a needle at first to test the overall density. It is my first rule of hammer installation. If not you may have installed an overly soft set. So live and learn. Also as David inquired. Is it the 5 th 6 th octave. If its a piano made prior to 1980 it will benefit tonally from a curved strike line in this area. Dale S. Erwin www.Erwinspiano.com Custom restoration Ronsen Piano hammers Join the Weickert felt Revolution 209-577-8397 209-985-0990 -----Original Message----- From: David Love <davidlovepianos at comcast.net> To: caut at ptg.org Sent: Thu, Feb 10, 2011 5:21 pm Subject: Re: [CAUT] Bum set of NY hammers, I'm afraid Is the problem through the entire set, one section? Are the hammers very bulky over the strike point? Have you tried a heavy filing of a couple of hammers (although that also changes the strike point orientation)? What sort of strength solution have you used? Have you compared with another set of a different type of hammer? Hamburg hammers can be a good choice for these pianos and there are some other options as well. David Love <http://www.davidlovepianos.com/> www.davidlovepianos.com From: <mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org> caut-bounces at ptg.org [ <mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org?> mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul T Williams Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2011 12:57 PM To: <mailto:caut at ptg.org> caut at ptg.org Cc: Webb, Kent Subject: [CAUT] Bum set of NY hammers, I'm afraid Hi all, How often have you received a bum set of hammers from Steinway NY? I've tried every trick in the book on the Steinway D I've been talking about over the past couple months, but no luck. They just don't want to respond. No charm, character or projection. The regulation is great, string mating is great, ppp is OK, but mf and up just suck! I've put far too many hours voicing one might expect to do with a new set of anything. I suppose 1 set in about 20 I've done isn't bad, but this is a concert piano. I had better luck with our other D with Wally's "special Natural Abel" hammers. The piano faculty is also disappointed in the piano now, and, of course, many recitals to go. I did switch the two pianos out. This one was in our large recital hall and the Wally Steinway was in our small recital hall and too overbearing for a poorly designed room that seats only 250. I've found the Wally's really brighten up a lot after a year or so, so I'll still need to do the 100,000 note "tune up" this summer. We'll see if that calms them down until this summer. Im now thinking of a set of Hamburgs for this problem piano. The D in the Lied Center just got new Hamburgs, and sounds fantastic. Thoughts? I'm really not liking the idea of scrapping these hammers, so if any of you have a last ditch approach, I'd love to hear it! Thanks Paul -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/caut.php/attachments/20110211/cd6eeb70/attachment-0001.htm>
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