hammer problems

pianoman pianoman@inlink.com
Wed, 1 Oct 1997 16:40:56 -0500


Dear list,
Just came back from a client that I just tuned for last Friday. (Howard
Gr).  I have been tuning for them since January ,1990.  On Saturday I got a
call from them saying that 1 note was not working.  Got there today and
pulled the action.  3 hammers have unglued felt from the striking point to
the back tail.  The unglued felt was catching on the damper wire so that
was why the note wasn't working.  The person who replaced the hammers for
them (just before 1990) is a tuner-tech-friend-competitor.  The hammers
were replaced but not the shanks.  Where the shank comes through the hammer
tail has not been filed flush with the tails.  I am surprised the
backchecks had not worn through.  This person has always done high quality
work so I'm not sure if he actually did the work or paid someone else to do
it.  Anyway I told them that this length of time would be passed any type
of guarantee.  I have already told them (an elderly couple) that the tone
quality on these 3 notes would not be matching the surrounding notes.  
Question 1.  What glue would you use to glue these hammers back together?
Question 2.  Any ideas on clamping these hammers back together in a
workmanlike manner?
Question 3.  I told them that probably there may be more coming loose in
the future and not to be surprised.  They look like Schaff's Standard
Hammers (red inner reinforcing no outer reinforcing and small staples in
top and bottom.)  Am I wrong?
I will wait till the weekend to decide on the course of action.  Thank you
in advance for your thoughts.
James Grebe
R.P.T. from St. Louis
pianoman@inlink.com
"Do it because it is right"


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