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<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Of
course! I'd forgotten about the vice-grip trick. But wait, there's more. I'm so
glad that this list has an archive. After reading Alan's reply I did a
search on both vice grip voicing and steam voicing and was rewarded with some
very informative and helpful ideas. Including the suggestion of an 8 to 1
alcohol to fabric softener treatment from 1995. Steaming the hammer,
quickly, was the all around preferred method of dealing with
extraordinarily hard hammers. I think I'll pick up a little electric tea kettle
on my way in tomorrow morning and give steam a chance first before resorting to
the vice grip method. I almost feel like I'm about to perform a magic
trick.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Thanks
to all --</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>--
Geoff Sykes</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>--
Assoc. Los Angeles</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=796182205-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
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<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>Alan R. Barnard<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, September 14, 2006 8:28
PM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: Alcohol and hard
hammers<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<P>I'd be leaping on those puppies with my modified Vice-grips (a la Wally
Brooks) followed by a lightly damp rag and the back side of my voicing iron,
i.e., steam.</P>
<P>The needle-in-a-Dremmel works well.</P>
<P>I'd try all those things before spending a day trying to, as one put it,
"split hickory knots using a corn dodger as a wedge and a pumpkin for a
mallet."</P>
<P>A quote for Texans: "The universal food of the people of Texas, both rich
and poor, seems to be corn-dodger and fried bacon." Frederick Law
Olmsted, 'A Journey Through Texas' (1856)<BR><BR>Alan Barnard<BR>Salem,
MO<BR>Joshua 24:15<BR></P>
<P><BR><BR><BR> </P>
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<HR>
Original message<BR>From: "Geoff Sykes" <THETUNER@IVORIES52.COM><BR>To:
"Pianotech@Ptg. Org" <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Received: 09/14/2006 8:09:38
PM<BR>Subject: Alcohol and hard hammers<BR><BR>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=671315500-15092006>Tomorrow I have to go up against a new, out of the
box, upright piano with ROCK hard hammers. I have been asked to voice the
hammers down significantly in order to reduce the unpleasant brittle
harsh cold sound. Last time I had to do this I just aggressively needled away
for a long time. Very aggressively with lots of broken needles. Even after I
was "finished" I was still unable to get a needle in more than about 1mm.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=671315500-15092006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=671315500-15092006>Not too long ago,
on the list, I read that treating hard hammers with a little alcohol would
help un-compact the felt. However, these are new hammers and are probably hard
because of a hardening treatment. Today's question is: Would a small alcohol
treatment help? If not, what would you suggest?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=671315500-15092006></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=671315500-15092006>-- Geoff
Sykes</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=671315500-15092006>-- Assoc. Los
Angeles</SPAN></FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>