Motorized hammer filing horrors.

[gordon stelter]

I'm glad you seem to be
adequately adept to use these things, Terry, and I say
that without a molecule of sarcasm. Considering your
well-noted dedication to quality, I am sure that you
speak truthfully. But I have seen SO MANY sets of
hammers gruesomely mutilated by "tooners" with these
motorized Implements of Doom that I would not advise
anyone to use them: even if I could myself!
     My favorite implement of hammer filing is a 
spring-steel machinist's rule with self-stick
sandpaper ( available from auto paint stores in
various grades )  on it.  It is more reliably flat
than the wooden paddles, THINNER ( to get under and
around stuff ) lighter and narrower than the Pianotech
"permanent" sanding paddle ( which is also nice, but
harder for me to control ) and can even be washed out
afterwards, if you use the right paper. 
( Last stuff I used was some green 3M stuff. The dye
washed out, but the paper stuck and lasted for about
10 filings! ) 
     Thump


--- Joe And Penny Goss <imatunr@srvinet.com> wrote:

> Hi David,
> That is exactly the same experience that I had.
> Tried all of the motorized
> ways after first finding that the paddle made my
> elbows flare up. My system
> is really just a non-motorized version of Carl
> Meyer's electric knife.
> Becuase I can control the speed of the removal of
> felt I remain in control
> of the results. Not so withthe Dremel, McCall, and
> meyer system. That is not
> to say that there are not those who are quite
> skillful with those methods,
> but I am diffinately not <G>
> Joe Goss RPT
> Mother Goose Tools
> imatunr@srvinet.com
> www.mothergoosetools.com
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dave Nereson" <davner@kaosol.net>
> To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 15, 2004 1:15 AM
> Subject: Re: fine grit hammer filing; Dremel tool
> 
> 
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> > To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, November 14, 2004 6:19 AM
> > Subject: Re: fine grit hammer filing
> >
> >
> > > Have you ever tried the hammer-routing/shaping
> attachement for the
> Dremel
> > > tool? Once you get the hang of it you can
> reshape a set of total trash
> > > upright hammers in ten minutes or so. No need to
> even do any manual
> > > filing/sanding afterwards. I wouldn't battle an
> old upright without it!
> > >
> > > Terry Farrell
> >
> >     Yes, I tried it a long time ago and couldn't
> figure it out.  Tried it
> > again a few months ago and decided it's just not
> worth it.  If you're
> > right-handed, you can do maybe half the bass
> section before your wrist
> runs
> > into the 2nd action bracket.  But at least in the
> bass, the hammers are
> > angled and you can get the tool perpendicular to
> the hammer.  But to do
> the
> > second half of the bass section, even if you do it
> left-handed, the angle
> of
> > the hammers forces the body of the Dremel tool
> into the dampers or other
> > hammers.
> >     Same problem in the treble, but the angle is
> the opposite direction.
> If
> > you hold it with your right hand, the body of the
> tool is forced into the
> > dampers.  If you hold it with your left, the
> action bracket's in the way.
> > If the tenor hammers aren't angled ("straight
> bore"), you can do the first
> > half of the tenor section, then you run into the
> 3rd action bracket with
> the
> > tool and your right wrist.  I'm just not dextrous
> enough with my left hand
> > to switch.
> >     But the main problem is that that guide just
> isn't all that great.
> With
> > it or without it, it's just too easy to dig a
> divot into the hammer.  All
> it
> > has to do is "catch" once, and, whiizzjhoop!,
> there went a big chunk of
> > hammer.  Now ya gotta cut an equal-sized piece of
> felt out of a scrap
> hammer
> > and glue it in.  Just kidding.
> >     Now on a grand it's a lot easier, but even
> there, I just can't tell if
> > I'm removing one layer or ten with
> > the Dremel sander drum.
> >     --David Nereson, RPT
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > pianotech list info:
> https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> 
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info:
> https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
> 



		
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