<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>I'd start by putting about 5 drops (from an eyedropper) on each shoulder while the hammer was in a vertical position, (so the strike point is the highest part of the hammer) tapering off to 1 drop when you reach the area where not much more brilliance is desirable.  </DIV> <DIV>Apply it so that the soultion doesn't wick into the strike point or the felt directly under the strike point. </DIV> <DIV>Listen to the effect after at least a couple of hours (better still, ovbernight) and do it again until you get what you want, adjusting the number of drops applied to each hammer as needed.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have a question though......have you considered using a thinned lacquer or sanding sealer "dope"?   Although the acetone/plastic dope can be effective in some situations it is generally less forgiving than thinned lacquer if you go too far and have to reverse directions.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=109352420-20082003><FONT face=Arial>Re: Mark Wisner's questions: My mixture is one plastic "A" keytop (with front) dissolved in roughly 8 oz. of acetone. I can see the piano as often as I need to.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan R. Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Salem, MO</FONT></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>Patrick C.Poulson<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, August 20, 2003 1:40 PM<BR><B>To:</B> Pianotech<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Dope needs dope dope<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan: my first question is: what kind of hammes are these? It sounds like you used cold-pressed ones. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Patrick C. Poulson<BR>Registered Piano Technician<BR>Piano Technicians Guild</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=tune4u@earthlink.net href="mailto:tune4u@earthlink.net">Alan</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> ; <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 8/20/2003 11:23 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Dope needs dope dope</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial>I've made a batch of plastic keytop in acetone and am about to put it on the new bass hammers that I installed in a Baldwin 6000.  Even after filing and many hours of playing, these hammers sound like mooshy marshmallows floofing up against the strings. Questions: How much dope per hammer? Where should I put it on the hammers and where should I NOT put it? Any other dope dope appreciated. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial>Side note: </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial>I did the Randy Potter course and have picked up much at PTG chapter meetings and from you wonderful people on the list, but mostly it's been on-the-job, on-my-own, and </FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial>learn-from-your-mistakes for me over the last three years. But it sure seems that there is a not very short list of things that reeeeeally should be learned with tutelage--and this includes voicing. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial>I think it just isn't sufficient to read about techniques; you have to hear examples and learn to listen to subtleties that just aren't present in 98.632% of the neglected pianos in rural America. Most customers can't really hear or appreciate the difference and won't be paying for it. So there is precious little practice opportunity.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial>THIS piano, however, demands attention and resides in the practice hall of some very professional musicians of the 399th Army Band. So I must venture!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial>Next conference, I'm going to spend the bucks and get into every voicing workshop I can!</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN><SPAN class=250430618-20082003><FONT face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Alan R. Barnard</FONT></DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Salem, MO</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV><BR> <P><FONT size=2>---<BR>Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.<BR>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).<BR>Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/2003<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <P><FONT size=2>---<BR>Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.<BR>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).<BR>Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/2003<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></XBODY></XHTML> <DIV><BR></DIV> <P><FONT size=2>---<BR>Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.<BR>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).<BR>Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/2003<BR></FONT></P></BODY></HTML>