<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2523" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've managed to burn out my moto = tools.  But years ago, employed at a staff tech at a university, I = invested in the Foredom tool from Pianotek because I had 90 instruments with 3/4" strike = surfaces---oh, maybe I'm exaggerating a little.  I've used the = McCall belt sander attachment, the Dremel hammer sanding attachment, but actually, = for some jobs, like the one pictured, I used the drum sander.  (I had to = take wood off, too.)  These are hammers (72 & 73) from the Steinway D at = the Big, Dead Hall.  They were too heavy on two counts, touch and = sound.  Didn't take any off the top.  Sorry the picture isn't dead on, but = you get the idea of what I removed.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Barbara Richmond, RPT</FONT></DIV> <DIV><B></B> </DIV> <DIV><B></B> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT></DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Keep in mind that the only time I = do this is when trying to salvage an old ready-for-the-grave trashy upright. Do = I voice afterwards? No. Does the piano sound good when I am done? No. Does = it sound better than it was? Yes. Can I do a crude regulation now? Yes. I = only remove felt down to the bottom of the grooves, but yes, this often leave = the hammers will very little felt - but again, trashy pianos only here. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>After a few attempts, I have worked = out a one-swoosh technique for using the Dremel hammer file tool. I start = at 8 o'clock and swoosh right around the whole hammer to a good 4 o'clock = (basically from staple to staple). Once you get the hang of it you = get a real nice smooth hammer surface, good shape, and you go so fast that = there is no burning or anything even close to that.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- = </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=quentin.codevelle@tiscali.fr href="mailto:quentin.codevelle@tiscali.fr">Quentin Codevelle</A> = </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, November 14, = 2004 9:41 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> fine grit hammer filing</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Terry,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I tried the router-shaper thing a = few times on extremely grooved hammers.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I don't like this solution very = much because I had the impression the machine is heating the felt very much, = resulting an awful tone,real harsh with a lot of voicing work to do = after the shaping machine operation.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Of course it is fast, but the = other problem is you have to get the habit of using it, because I saw some = hammers shaped with this shaper by someone who never did this kind of work = before, and it was a total disaster.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The hammer set was totally = ruined, with not enough felt left, and an awful hammer shape.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What is your experience with it? </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Quentin</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></FON= T></DIV></BODY></HTML>