hammer filing

[Robert A. Anderson]

I used to use the Dremel with the guide back in the "old days." It was
certainly fast, and the typical piano I was working on was an old upt.
with mostly shot hammers. As I began to get more experienced, I started
working on better quality hammers. I came to the conclusion that I
didn't have enough control with the Dremel, so I started filing by hand
exclusively. Then someone showed me how to use the Dremel freehand. I
discovered that I could do that with practice. It is pretty easy for me
to make controlled freehand passes all the way around the hammer. The
limitation of this method is that it takes felt off evenly, whereas I
may want to remove a lot of felt from the shoulders to restore the shape
of a badly flattened hammer. I don't find that the Dremel saves me any
time in that situation. I can rough-file the shoulders with a coarse
sandpaper file faster than I can with a Dremel. After restoring a more
or less normal shape to the hammer, I can follow up with the Dremel
freehand. Then I go back for final touch up with a sandpaper strip. I
guess the bottom line is that it may be better to consider using a
combination of tools on any particular job than locking oneself into the
use of any one tool.

Even if you use the Dremel, I think it's a good idea to develop a
technique of filing by hand. Not all hammers want to be filed the same
way. I get better tactile feedback when I file by hand and I consider
that my primary technique, even though I use the Dremel in certain
situations.

Bob Anderson
Tucson, AZ