alcohol voicing (was: Reactionary curmudgeon)

[Kevin E. Ramsey RPT]

Hi Guys, (and Gals)
I used to really like this little trick. It works best on the new cheaper
Asian brands. I used rubbing alcohol, which is 70% alcohol and 30% water. It
really was pretty moderate and even, but it's only the beginning of your
voicing. That alone leaves alot to be desired. I've found that I can almost
achieve the same effect by knocking off the sharp edges of the hammer with a
sand-paper paddle, ala Wally Brooks.
    The rubbing alcohol I would only use on extreme cases, and usually
inexpensive brands. ( Or Baldwins )
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Kline <sckline@home.com>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Thursday, August 31, 2000 4:47 PM
Subject: alcohol voicing (was: Reactionary curmudgeon)


>At 10:37 AM 08/31/2000 -0600, John Musselwhite wrote:
>>Evercleer is almost pure alcohol and not available over the counter here.
>>I hope I've been spelling it right. Vodka has water in it already as well
>>as a few impurities. See Susan's articles in the Journal or the list
>>archives on how to experiment with it.  The same goes for steam, although
>>that's Roger Jolly's balliwick.
>
>When I'm voicing hammers down with alcohol, I cut the 190 proof (95%
>alcohol) with an equal amount of water, so it ends up vodka-like. Rubbing
>alcohol (isopropyl, I think it is ...) would probably work, but I have no
>idea how concentrated it is, or whether there's anything other than alcohol
>and water in it.
>
>One brand here is called "Everclear" and another is called "Clear Spring."
>In Canada, I'd go to the Liquor Board store (if that is still where you buy
>hooch) and ask for bulk alcohol (grain alcohol), 190 proof, and see what
>they have. Another approach might be to cultivate the acquaintance of
>someone with a chem lab and see if he or she would part with some lab
>alcohol. Don't know how the price would compare. Luckily we don't need much
>for voicing hammers. I try just a couple of drops on the strike point, and
>see what I get, after about 10 minutes. I usually have to even things up,
>with a second dose or a little needling on a few. I find that soaking the
>shoulders leaves hammers too soft, usually.
>
>I've just started wondering if I could voice through the strings with
>"vodka" (like voicing with the chopstick tool.) I have a few of those
>little plastic bottles which can be sealed by pulling up on the long
>plastic tube coming out the top. It might just be long enough to go through
>the strings, and just touch the strike point of the hammers. I think it's
>going to take some experimentation first, to be sure that none spills on
>the action, but it would be handy for a touch-up of the voicing, if I could
>control the flow well enough to get single drops on demand. I may see if
>the vodka comes out slower if the bottle is full (restrained by a little
>internal vacuum) or almost empty. I wouldn't want it splashing around in
>the action, though it might not actually do that much harm if just a drop
>or two went astray. I wouldn't want any on the strings, either, of course.
>
>Susan
>