<!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 content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2> List:  I know there was a thread about = steaming hammers a few months ago, but I don't know how to access the = archives.  How does one do that?   </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>     I've seen one demonstration = of steam voicing at a convention, and it did indeed improve the tone, making the = hammer "bloom", or expand out, making the flat striking surface more round = again, and getting rid of most of the string grooves without having to file and = remove felt.  But the tone was evaluated immediately after the = steaming.  What happens after the steam moisture dries?  Does the hammer felt = shrink again, making it denser, causing a brighter, harder tone?      </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2>     I've heard of Woolite and = Downy being used for hammer softening -- are they essentially the same thing chemically?  I know Woolite, rather than regular detergent, should = be used for washing wool sweaters, but the compressed felt of piano hammers is = not the loose knit of a sweater.  What is the actual chemical or physical = action on the hammer felt of  a) steam  b) Woolite, Downy, etc. ? </FONT></DIV> <DIV>    I guess what I want to know (again) is:  = Besides restoring the original shape of the hammer (somewhat), is the purpose of = steaming to  soften hard hammers  or  to shrink soft = hammers and make them harder?  </DIV> <DIV>    --Dave Nereson, RPT, = Denver </DIV></BODY></HTML>