<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue style='word-wrap: break-word;-khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space'> <div class=Section1> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I would have to agree. Heating the glue joint seems to be asking for trouble with both Titebond and hide glue (which I still use).  </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p> <div> <p><font size=2 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt; color:navy'>David Love</span></font><font size=2 color=navy><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:navy'><br> davidlovepianos@comcast.net </span></font></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Gary Mushlin<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, March 29, 2006 8:07 AM<br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> ed440@mindspring.com; </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>College and University Technicians</span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><br> <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [CAUT] Hammer Alignment</span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I used to heat the glue joint to align hammers, until I found out that Titebond begins to break down at about 120 degrees, and loses half its strength at about 150 degrees. I got this info from a technician named Tom Patten in his class concerning fire damage to pianos. My understanding is he got this information from Franklin, the makers of Titebond. I assume this applies to other glues as well.</span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Maybe this isn't enough loss of strength to affect the hammer glue joint significantly, but I'd rather not take the chance. I now twist the shank, as was described in a previous response to this question. If the hammer is too far off to twist the shank, I remove the hammer and reglue with fresh glue.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sincerely,</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gary Mushlin, RPT</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> <div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On Mar 29, 2006, at 9:16 AM, <a href="mailto:ed440@mindspring.com">ed440@mindspring.com</a> wrote:</span></font></p> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br> <br> </span></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br> I will second Wim's approach.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I heat the glue joint with an Ace hardware heat gun on low setting, moving from side to side of the hammer.  If correcting more than one hammer I will move around and heat several at once.  You need to give time for the heat to penetrate to the glue, and you don't want to make charcoal.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Then grasp the shank with shank knurling pliers just below the hammer.  No stress on the flange pinning, and very definate control.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Then reset the hammer sort of like setting a tuning pin, over and back a few times until it's on center.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I use Titebond in my work, but have also used this method on pianos with what-ever-it-is glue. Results seem stable, but I have not made a research project on the question.</span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left: .5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ed Sutton</span></font></p> </div> <div style='border:none;border-left:solid black 2.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt'> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:center'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </span></font></div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Original message<br> From: <a href="mailto:Wimblees@aol.com">Wimblees@aol.com</a><br> To: <a href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</a><br> Received: 3/28/2006 2:11:50 AM<br> Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hammer Alignment<br> <br> <br> </span></font><font size=2 color=black face=Arial id="role_document"></font></p> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>In a message dated 3/27/2006 11:13:17 PM Central Standard Time, <a href="mailto:davidlovepianos@comcast.net">davidlovepianos@comcast.net</a> writes:</span></font></p> <blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid blue 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt; margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Do they always end up twisting in the same direction?  One thought is that<br> if you burn the shanks for straightening at the initial installation and you<br> hold the heat gun, say, in your right hand, you might be heating one side of<br> the shank more than the other which might create some unequal tension in the<br> shank that might play out over the period of a few weeks or months.  </span></font></p> </blockquote> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>I have been reading these post with interest. I seem to be getting the impression that some of you are heating and bending the shank to move a hammer. I personally think that might be causing the problem Jon first mentioned. It has been my experience that the best way to burn hammers is heat the glue joint enough to allow me to twist the hammer. I then hold the hammer in its new position for the glue to solidify. I have never had a hammer move after that. I don't think the heat does any damage to the glue. I use Tightbond, BTW. </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p> </div> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Wim </span></font></p> </div> </div> </div> <p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>