basic questions

[Roger Jolly]

Hi Rob,
        I've been playing with steam for a good number of years, to the
point that I earned the nick name of the closet steamer, 5 years ago I
would have been certifiable. Many experiments with swinging the hammers
into a jet of steam, to the refinement of using an iron and a cloth to
target the moisture to the zone that is going to do the most good.
  Now lets thing of what happens to the hammer when it is played with time.
Two things happen to the strike point, 1. a very small amount of wear, 2. a
whole lot of compression ( hardening of the strike point).  When we reshape
we are trimming off a thin layer of this hard compressed felt to get at the
more resilient material below, and we also restoring a clean rounded face
to the hammer so that it rebounds mor quickly, thus creating a cleaner
tonal quality.
Cutting down to the lower and most often denser layer of felt results in
two changes, a lighter touch due to mass removal,and a brighter tone.
  Since compression IS the greater of the two evils, a VERY light
application of steam will restore the hammer, and reduce the need to reshape.
  You question on how short lived is difficult to quantify, however
University grands that take an 8hr per day pounding, and need to be voiced
twice per year (they don't get it due to budgets) are really enhanced by
this 10 to 15min treatment, and seem to stand up very well for 6 months.
The techs that have really tried this have become real converts and advocates.
  Your comment about hardener. The reason we reshape or steam, is usually
due to the tone becoming more strident, or bright. Reshaping invariably
brightens the tone even more but focuses the sound. If I feel the tone has
gone a little too mellow, then using the voicing iron (40watt) at max heat
I will iron the hammer up to the desired level. If the hammers have been
previously doped then this solution is not as effective. 
 There is a great deal of imfo on steaming in the archives.



 little water. As a result putting the hammers back into service
>and beating them against the strings in the identical location, however,
>I would think that the effert would be short term. Have you noticed this
>at all??? I would also expect that complete revoicing with hardener
>would also be a requirement since steam would most definently make them
>softer. 
>
>I have never considered placing a damp cloth over hammers for steaming.
>This is used in conjunction with a heat gun, correct? How long does this
>take?
hi
Roger Jolly
Baldwin Yamaha Piano Centre
Saskatoon and Regina
Saskatchewan, Canada.
306-665-0213
Fax 652-0505