hammer juice

[David Love]

Susan:

Why use grain alcohol that has some water in it and would seem to have some
counterproductive properties  Why not use denatured, or does it have water
in it too?

David Love

----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Kline" <sckline@home.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: September 04, 2001 1:36 PM
Subject: RE: hammer juice


> At 02:52 PM 9/4/2001 -0500, you wrote:
> >Susan,
> >What is your recipe?  You must like it alot.
> >
> >Brian Doepke
> >doepke@fwi.com
>
> Shellac -- get the ultrablonde flakes, to minimize color. But, you know,
> the color is a mixed disadvantage, since you can use it to tell how far
> your juice is seeping.
>
> I use bulk alcohol from the liquor store, 190 proof. It dries fast. I
> haven't really worked out weights and measures yet. I just make it up
> fairly thin, like what I'd use on furniture if I were going to do a lot of
> coats.
>
> I really like the sound I get, and how easy it is to needle later, and how
> wholesome the ingredients are. Also, although I haven't had to do this, I
> have the feeling that if one overdid the juicing and had to remove some
> later, shellac would be very soluble, and easy to soak with alcohol and
> then blot up with a rag.
>
> You work out a dilution, and tell me what you like. It would be
interesting
> to see what would happen using it for new unjuiced hammers, using Ed
> Foote's method. So far I've used it to brighten up Steinway treble hammers
> which sounded a little wooly, with just a few drops up near the strike
> point, but slightly to the rear of it. I also saw Steve Brady do this with
> shellac just before a concert, with excellent and quick results.
>
> Susan Kline
>