Protek evaporation (hammer juice)

[Carol Beigel]

Hammer juice is used to make hammers harder and brighten the tone.  The 
three most common forms are:

Commercially available called Supertone; or

Lacquer thinner and lacquer  (ratio: 8 parts thinner to 1 part lacquer).  
Some prefer to use nitrocellular lacquer, but all that is is regular lacquer 
with some cloth dissolved in it.

Make it yourself using a pint of acetone and disolving a plastic keytop in 
it.  This is the most recommended.  Although Steinway uses 3 different 
strengths of lacquer juice in the factory, the acetone mixture is used on 
their concert venues.

All it takes is one or two drops on the strike point of the hammer and 
results are within 15 minutes.  If you use too much, you can always voice 
the hammer down with needles.

Not all hammers are designed to be used with "juice".  Certainly, Steinway 
hammers are as they are lacquered heavily in the factory.  However, I would 
be reluctant to use anything but needles on Yamaha hammers.

As you can see, hammer juice is very prone to evaporation so forget storing 
or carrying it in an oiler.  Keep it in a nail polish remover bottle and 
refill an empty oiler in your tool kit.

Some folks might also think of hammer juice as a solution having the 
opposite effect - softening hammers.  Someone else will have to contribute 
the exact formula, but it is a solution of fabric softener or Woolite, and 
alcohol.  I think a better way, and just as fast, with more control is Roger 
Jolly's hammer steaming technique with a damp cloth and a special soldering 
iron.

Carol Beigel


>From: Martin Dubow <tuner@mediaone.net>
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: pianotech@ptg.org
>Subject: Re: Protek evaporation
>Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 20:45:22 -0700
>
>Carol,
>
>What's hammer juice?
>
>Martin Dubow
>
>
>
>Carol Beigel wrote:
>
> > I finally found a way to carry my "fluids" with minimum evaporation,
> > spillage, etc.  For my everyday-no-extra-charge bag I carry a small 
>amount
> > of protek in a tiny oiler bottle from Jenson.  It has never leaked or
> > evaporated, but I carry that bag into my house every day because my 
>laptop
> > is in it!  I have never been able to carry hammer juice in any oiler.  I
> > also carry a small amount of glue, teflon powder , and an eye dropper 
>for
> > hammer juice in that bag.
> >
> > In a small sandwich-size ice chest, I carry the bottle of ProTek with 
>its
> > screw tight cap, hammer juice in a small screw cap bottle that 
>originally
> > contained nail polish remover, the McLube, the CA glue and PVC glue in 
>the
> > trunk of my car about 9 months a year.  During the winter I bring that
> > container into the house each night to keep it from freezing.  BTW, 
>those
> > blister packages of epoxy also go in this box as you cannot depend upon 
>them
> > not to split open in your tool kit.
> >
> > If I know I'm going to need a quantity from that boxm that lives in the
> > trunk, I just throw the appropriate container into the tuning kit!
> >
> > Carol Beigel
> >
> > >From: "Phil Bondi" <tito@PhilBondi.com>
> > >Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> > >To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > >Subject: Protek evaporation
> > >Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 17:20:00 -0400
> > >
> > >Hi y'all (jimrpt will like that!).
> > >
> > >I have put off asking the list about this until I did a little
> > >investigating
> > >on my own. I carry a small amout of Protek with me in my tool
> > >case..recently, I have noticed that it is evaporating. I keep it in a
> > >valvespout oiler(Schaff)..and no it is not leaking out of the oiler..it
> > >seems to be evaporating.
> > >
> > >I live in a rather humid climate and I keep my tools in my truck 
>overnight.
> > >Has anyone else had this phenomenon happen to them?
> > >
> > >Rook
> > >
> >
> > 
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