<html> Otto, I'm wondering if shellac would block like that, preventing further applications from wicking in. It is awfully soluble in alcohol. Is it possible that keytop is more impenetrable than shellac, after setting up? Also, shellac is sort of brittle, so a little squeezing with pliers after it has dried might break it up enough to let more solution into the deeper parts of the hammer. I suppose I could experiment on some old, soft hammers and see. If I used one of the more colored shellacs, I could determine better where the solids are ending up. Susan At 12:42 PM 2/3/2003 -0800, Otto wrote: <blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>I think the key with any substance used for juicing is having a dilution that allows the hardening agent to penetrate to the depth desired without forming a crust.  Fred Drasche always stressed the "fill-in" method -- starting a bit higher (I start at about 10 & 2 o'clock - on raw marshmallows) with a bit of juice & then fill in below, allowing it to wick almost up to the crown.  The felt filters the solids out as the solvent wicks through, leaving the hardener away from the crown, which avoids that "ping".  (Not always successful, mind you.) You'll notice it travel in a bit of an arch -- faster through the outer/softer layers of the hammer, & acetone flashes off quickly, so one has to watch closely & move down the hammer to compensate.   With the hardener diluted properly, the felt should still be porous, allowing the 2nd application to penetrate.  Acetone softens the hardening agent & wicks it further into the hammer.  My goal is to get just enough hardener into the hammer to bond the fibers elastically, so the resilience is still there.  If my 2nd or 3rd application won't penetrate, then I've gotten the stuff on too thick in the first place.  Then it doesn't matter what I've used as an agent, I'll have to soak the junk out or throw out the hammers.   Otto</blockquote></html>