<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv=content-type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 9.00.8112.16455">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff text=#000000>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Hi David,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>As others have suggested it may not be the
hammers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Other things to try that may lead you to decide
what is needed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>1. Lower a note (one string of a soft sounding one
) about an octave and pound with a heavy test blow force 10 to 20 strokes in
rapid style</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Bring the string back to pitch and listen to see if
there is improvement in the sound.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>2. Need more? Remove same string from hitch pin>
as you remove the string ( do it with vice grips so that you can see if
the string has been twisted ) twist string unichord no more than one full twist
bichord no more than two full turns.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>More than this will destroy the string by adding
unpredictable false harmonics.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>If the above does not help examine the bridge
assembly for soundness before deciding to install new strings.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Joe Goss BSMusEd MMusEd RPT<BR><A
href="mailto:imatunr@srvinet.com">imatunr@srvinet.com</A><BR><A
href="http://www.mothergoosetools.com">www.mothergoosetools.com</A></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=David@piano.plus.com href="mailto:David@piano.plus.com">David
Boyce</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, November 17, 2012 4:47
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [pianotech] Hardening bass
hammers</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=Arial>I don't have much experience with using laquer
etc to harden hammers, and I am looking for advice. <BR><BR>A recent example
typifies a situation I've encountered before. A client has bought a large
good-quality upright, about 80 years old. The bass hammers are rather
soft. They are not deeply grooved. I have ironed them, but this produced only
minimal improvement. <BR><BR>Obviously the proper solution is to fit new
hammers. But where cost is a factor, what could I do to harden the
existing hammers. <BR><BR>What is needed I think is not to make the surface
harder but to make the overall texture more dense. What would be a
method to do this at minimal cost?<BR><BR>Advice will be most
welcome.<BR><BR>Best regards,<BR><BR>David<BR><A
class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated
href="http://www.davidboyce.co.uk">www.davidboyce.co.uk</A><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>