<HEAD><TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Geoff-</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You also may perform some serious damage.</DIV> <DIV>Heavy soaking with softening solutions and kettle steaming were all the rage for a little while, until folks began noticing they can do a lot more softening and reshaping of hammers than intended.</DIV> <DIV>Softening solutions are usually better applied as a light spray, and pure rubbing alcohol works just fine without the fabric softener. </DIV> <DIV>Steaming with a damp cloth and hammer iron is much more controllable.</DIV> <DIV>There are many ways to quick needle using a Dremel tool and needling through the side of the hammer.</DIV> <DIV>If you would specify the brand of piano, someone might share very specific experiences with you.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Ed Sutton <BR><BR><BR></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Geoff Sykes <THETUNER@IVORIES52.COM><BR>Sent: Sep 15, 2006 1:55 AM <BR>To: tune4u@earthlink.net, 'Pianotech List' <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Subject: RE: Alcohol and hard hammers <BR><BR><ZZZHTML><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii" HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2873" name="GENERATOR"></ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"> <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> <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>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> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <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></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY>