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<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Hi
Roger --</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Having
the Journal CD's I found your article on Controllable Steam Voicing in the May
1999 Journal. After reading it I'm going to abandon the tea kettle idea and
invest in a voicing iron like you describe. The method you describe is both easy
and controllable. And it's grace over brute force. I like it. Thank you for your
contribution to this question. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>--
Geoff Sykes</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>--
Assoc. Los Angeles</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=187363817-15092006><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<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>Roger Jolly<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, September 15, 2006 8:04
AM<BR><B>To:</B> Pianotech List<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: Alcohol and hard
hammers<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT size=3>Hi
Geoff,<BR>
I DO NOT advise using a steam kettle, one of my reasons for writing the
article in the Journal, a few years ago, was that there is very little
control, and very inconsistent results.<BR>Give me you address off list and I
will send you a reprint copy.<BR>Alcohol and water tends to deform the hammer
shape and you can very quickly ruin a set of hammers, unless you have some
voicing experience.<BR>If you do not have an electric voicing iron, you can
get the same results using the tip of a clothes iron, it's just a little more
difficult to work with.<BR>Regards Roger<BR><BR><BR><BR>At 11:55 PM 9/14/2006,
you wrote:<BR></FONT>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><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.<BR></FONT><FONT size=3> <BR></FONT><FONT face=arial
color=#0000ff size=2>Thanks to all --<BR></FONT><FONT
size=3> <BR></FONT><FONT face=arial color=#0000ff size=2>-- Geoff
Sykes<BR>-- Assoc. Los Angeles<BR></FONT><FONT
size=3> <BR> <BR></FONT>
<DL>
<DD><FONT face=tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR>
<DD>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [<A
href="mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org" eudora="autourl">
mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org</A>] On Behalf Of </B>Alan R. Barnard<BR>
<DD>Sent:</B> Thursday, September 14, 2006 8:28 PM<BR>
<DD>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR>
<DD>Subject:</B> RE: Alcohol and hard hammers<BR><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=3>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.<BR><BR>
<DD>The needle-in-a-Dremmel works well.<BR><BR>
<DD>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."<BR><BR>
<DD>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>
<DD>Alan Barnard<BR>
<DD>Salem, MO<BR>
<DD>Joshua 24:15<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>
<DD><BR>
<HR>
<DD>Original message<BR>
<DD>From: "Geoff Sykes" <BR>
<DD>To: "Pianotech@Ptg. Org" <BR>
<DD>Received: 09/14/2006 8:09:38 PM<BR>
<DD>Subject: Alcohol and hard hammers<BR><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>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. <BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=3><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>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?<BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT size=3><BR></FONT>
<DD><FONT face=arial size=2>-- Geoff Sykes<BR>
<DD>-- Assoc. Los Angeles<BR></FONT><FONT
size=3></FONT></DD></DL></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>