[pianotech] Hammer softener

[Susan Kline]

I like using pliers just a little, but only on particularly mean and 
defiant  hammers, and only down where the shoulders are big. You are 
changing the whole inner structure of the hammer, with no way to return 
it to its prior condition.

For the top octave, which usually ends up over-hardened, I'd suggest 
FIRST trying as little vodka as you can get to come out of the little 
plastic squeeze bottle, directly into the string grooves, and NO 
needling. The felt is usually hard as rocks up there, and also very 
thin. It's not going to fluff up properly whatever needling you do. If 
you keep poking it you can easily end up with torn felt full of holes 
which are still surrounded by rock-hard wool.

Whatever softener you use, and wherever in the scale, I think you should 
start with an absolutely minimal amount and work up gradually, 
evaluating tone as you go. Never just douse hammers with it! You can end 
up totaling them in a very short amount of time. If you use so much 
steam or softeners or alcohol that you end up with cotton balls on 
sticks, all swollen out of shape, you have done a Bad Thing.

I don't like steam because it does too much too fast. Plus it's a 
nuisance to set up, and you can get steam burns from it. I think that 
anything steam can do can be done in a much more controllable way with 
alcohol. (100 proof ...) I use vodka because it's the least toxic and 
the amounts needed are so minimal that cost shouldn't really be a 
factor. ... Well, I use ethyl alcohol --"Clear Spring"-- from the liquor 
store diluted to 100 proof.

The vodka does not flush out solids (except it might a little if the 
hardener used was shellac, which is one reason I really like shellac.) 
What it hopefully does is wet the wool fibers which have been packed 
down in the string grooves, which then kink and get fluffy. If you've 
ever tried to launder a pure wool sweater in hot water, you'll understand.

It's not like you want to take all the bite out of the tone in the top 
octave -- you just want a small amount of cushioning on top of the hard 
core to take away the worst of the harshness.

Might the pastor be receptive to the idea of putting a thick pile rug 
directly underneath the piano?

Susan Kline

On 12/6/2010 10:33 AM, David Boyce wrote:
> Would it be worth cautiously trying a little "pliers voicing", with a 
> nice clean pair of parallel-nosed pliers?  If it proves effective, it 
> could be a nice fast method.
>
> Best regards,
>
> David Boyce.
>
>> I'm not sure exactly who did the work, but the treble hammers are 
>> pretty much rocks.
>

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