<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2180" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: = Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=rol= e_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>In a message dated 12/4/2004 11:59:22 PM Pacific Standard Time, solliday@ptd.net writes:</DIV> <DIV>   <FONT size=3>Chris</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   Well said I,ve used this method for ye= ars. If  there is not some solution over the top of the hammer the tone doesn't develop where it needs to go</FONT> <FONT size=3>,epecially in a concert situation. If you have the luxury of a heav= y player in a non concert setting then play in time will help develo= p the sound without lacquers  but if the top is truly too soft the soluti= on is a great & instant tonal benifit. The top & tone is easi= ly maintained in this case as long as  the solution isn't too thick for th= e inherent density of the felt. Does that make any sense?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Dale</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000= 000 size=2>I absolutely defer to Eric S's teaching on the subject, but I think= you will find a different practice in C&A, and my current use of whatever chemical hardener is <STRONG>some directly on the strke point only, and let = it fall over night to the core point</STRONG>, then voice with needles. This, i= n my limited experience, is the most effecient approach. I don't want to get into= a long debate but no one else has put this forward in this thread and at least a few of us are doing this for several years now with a good meas= ure of success. Have fun, </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><= FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size= =2>Chris Solliday</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>