<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2722.900" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Steve,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I second John's advice.  I prefer not to use lacquer for heavy duty hardening, but only for a quick (easily removable) "skin" for emergency touch-ups, using acetone to take it into the hammer a bit & keep it from getting zingy on the crown.  But that's another topic that nobody wants to talk about.  :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I find better results from an acetone & keytops mixture.  Quicker results (faster drying) more predictable, better voicing control/needle penetration, lends itself to repeat doping if necessary, etc.  I start with a lighter solution (say 1 keytop to 6-8 oz. of acetone), since the acetone allows for repeated application, & for some reason, the plastic in the keytop seems to disperse more evenly without making a rock out of the hammer.  Kind of like the difference between voicing a golf ball with or without the plastic cover on.  One could assume that half a set of keytops in a set of hammers would create all sorts of voicing challenges, not to mention the extra weight, plus that of all the needles you would leave in them.  Last spring I dug about 20 needles out of a set of hammers that I was filing -- looked like a lawn full of gophers until I went over them again.  Fortunately it came out sounding okay for the quality of piano it was.  Unfortunately, it needs voicing again, so I may try a shot of vodka.  If it doesn't work on the hammers, I'll give some to the pianists so they don't notice how bright it is.  :-)</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Anyway, you should be able to soak the lacquer farther in toward the moulding with acetone, but it may take several applications to soften it up.  Just make sure you have plenty of ventilation (probably not the campus smoking pit) or you may have touble finding your way home.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Otto</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">John Ross</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">College and University Technicians</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 30, 2003 1:13 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: shell-shock</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Soak it in acetone, and try and get the lacquer to drip out.</DIV> <DIV>Roger Jolly, has mentioned it in more depth. So check the Pianotech Archives.</DIV> <DIV>By the way, searches are so much easier now.</DIV> <DIV>Regards,</DIV> <DIV>John M. Ross<BR>Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A href="mailto:jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca">jrpiano@win.eastlink.ca</A></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=s.kabat@csuohio.edu href="mailto:s.kabat@csuohio.edu">Steve Kabat</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 30, 2003 2:21 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> shell-shock</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Yo list- </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>    I'm afraid that in lacquering a set of Steinway D hammers I started with too weak a solution(5:1), and now after multiple lacquerings I still have no "punch" in the treble from about E56 to the top.  The lacquer (3 and 4:1) at this point is just not penetrating to the tip of the molding as has been suggested in many of the fine and eminently valuable posts I've been poring over lo these many months. What's a tuner to do? I can hear that the sound is weak or "hollow" in the treble compared to the lower end, but am frustrated because I feel that I need to get something deep into the hammer but it ain't goin' there. Any suggestions would be most welcome.  Steve Kabat</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="mailto:s.kabat@csuohio.edu">s.kabat@csuohio.edu</A> </FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>