<HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>Please note that lacquer thinner fumes are not good for breathing.</DIV> <DIV>Did this question begin by distinguishing whether the hammers are hard from chemicals or from hot pressing?  If hot pressed, lacquer thinner will not help.</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: David Love <DAVIDLOVEPIANOS@COMCAST.NET><BR>Sent: Sep 17, 2006 8:41 PM <BR>To: 'Pianotech List' <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Subject: RE: how hammers are hardened ...any clues? <BR><BR><ZZZHTML><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA CONTENT="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)" name="Generator"> <STYLE> <ZZZ!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:ZZZlink, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} p {margin-right:0in; margin-left:0in; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle17 {font-family:Arial; color:navy;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </STYLE> </ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY lang=EN-US vlink="purple" link="blue" bgcolor="white"> <DIV class=Section1> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Not sure what a “strong” lacquer thinner is versus a “weak” one, but lacquer thinner will soften key top solution.  Key tops are typically dissolved in acetone, the major component of lacquer thinner.  </SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <DIV> <P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy">David Love</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy"><BR>davidlovepianos@comcast.net<BR>www.davidlovepianos.com</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"> </SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">-----Original Message-----<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>KeyKat88@aol.com<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Sunday, September 17, 2006 2:35 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: how hammers are hardened ...any clues?</SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P> <DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Greetings,</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">       Then do you soak the hammer or just wet the strike point and alittle beyond? Also. after the laquer thinner is applied, I would think that blotting the thinner to remove it also removes the unwanted laquer with it thereby softening the hammer OR does merely applying the laquer withou blotting it back off enough to soften the things?</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Julia</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Reading, PA</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P></DIV> <DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In a message dated 9/17/2006 5:20:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, ricbrek@broadpark.no writes:</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN-TOP: 5pt; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 5pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; MARGIN-LEFT: 3.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: blue 1.5pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Try a reasonably strong lacquer thinner... if that softens the hammer <BR>then its not keytop.<BR><BR>Cheers<BR>RicB</SPAN></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></DIV></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY>