Hammer softening

[Porritt, David]

Gary:

 

I'm one who has used fabric softener but ONLY on extremely hard pressed
or over doped hammers.  On hammers that don't meet those criterion
fabric softener will make the felt puff out and be misshapen.  I have
some Baldwin 243HPs here that I've just brushed on some Snuggle and
isopropyl alcohol (1:7) on the strike point with an artist's brush.  It
has not affected the shape but has modestly softened the tone so I'm
happy.  Squirting it on with any kind of tool will usually put too much
on and give you bad results.  The hammers I'm doing this on are unable
to be penetrated with needles!  

 

The isopropyl alcohol I'm using is the 70% stuff and the 30% water
probably helps too.  I've never used the 91% alcohol - it's usually more
expensive.

 

dp

 

David M. Porritt, RPT

dporritt at smu.edu

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Gary Fluke
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 11:59 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Hammer softening

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Would some of you please tell me what liquid solutions and procedures
you have used in order to soften hammers for the purpose of voicing?  I
have searched the archives and found mention of fabric softener that
turns hammers blue, which I don't want to do.  Another solution
mentioned was ethanol and water.  That sounds interesting but only one
posting mentioned concentration of the constituents.  He said he used
rubbing alcohol as that came as 90% denatured alcohol and 10% water.  No
mention was made anywhere of the exact procedure when using ethanol.

 

 

Gary Fluke

Snohomish, WA

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