CAUT

  • 1.  lanolin ratio

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-26-2016 12:31

    Greetings all;

    Any recommendations for ratio of lanolin to lacquer thinner in softening hammers? I've seen Fred Sturm's post of a few years back (Thanks Fred!)  but no mention was made of how much lacquer thinner is needed for the requisite amount of lanolin ( +/- 2 teaspoons). Hammers are on an old Vose & Sons which of course needs new ones but I haven't got time at this point to do that. Would like to soften the existing hammers which have plenty of felt left after re-shaping. Thanks for any input!

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    Stephen Kabat
    Lyndhurst OH
    216-381-5662
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  • 2.  RE: lanolin ratio

    Posted 07-26-2016 12:52

    So the question becomes- Why two ingredients? If one is the softner, what does the other do? Does the softer float on top? Then most likely the lacquer thinner is acting as a carrier. So just enough to allow the softner to soak in. Test on scrap hammers.
    In the past I have used fabric softner with success, and that's how I approached it.




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  • 3.  RE: lanolin ratio

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-26-2016 14:13

    This is a great question. It would be nice to see that earlier post/thread by Fred. I'm sure it's an effort to replace at least some of the natural lanolin that would of course be removed by the laquer thinner/acetone mix (at least this is what I remember from Fred's nice hammer washing/rinsing set up.) Perhaps Fred or someone could clarify this.

    A related question: has anyone (on the list) tried the Balistol method of voicing hammers which would otherwise of course be "junk"?? Very intriguing Tip in the Journal. It would only be for REALLY HORRIBLE hammers that would otherwise need to be replaced. (Can I say that any other way?) For example we have at least 2 regular pratice grands that will have new hammers in the near future but I simply must voice them down until they can be replaced. I'm thinking of trying this on like one or two hammers ar a time--proceeding VERY cautiously.  

    It was CLEARLY stated that this stuff dors NOT contain any natural lubricant such as Lanolin, but "synthestic" - just to be clear. 

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    Kevin Fortenberry
    Registered Piano Technician
    Lubbock TX
    806-778-3962

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  • 4.  RE: lanolin ratio

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-26-2016 21:34
    Here's one thread on the subject. I used lanolin to lubricate the shoulders for easier penetration and removal of needles in felt that seems particularly resistant. It worked pretty well, and was on a par with thinned fabric softener (as little perfume and other things as possible, the "gentle, hypoallergenic kind) for that purpose. I used raw lanolin, heated it somewhat to melt it, then mixed it with lacquer thinner so that it would penetrate. I'd guess the proportions were 5:1 thinner:lanolin or so.

    In following up later, I found that the lanolin treatment led to pretty bad clogging of sanding film, making it quite difficult (time-consuming) to reshape. I stopped using it for that reason. I guess, but do not know, that using "lanolin oil" (a more refined product) would probably avoid that issue. But I have developed protocols/methods of voicing that make this "pre-softening or lubricating" of the shoulders less important, essentially setting up the hammers so that they are solidly supported and standing while I lean the needles into the felt (I have written about using angle iron for this purpose, both for uprights and grands). For hammers that are extra dense, I do the first few insertions parallel to the shoulder, opening up the felt in layers. This seems to work in the hammers I have been voicing the last few years.
    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    "A mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled." Plutarch









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  • 5.  RE: lanolin ratio

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 07-26-2016 22:48
    Here's the thread before the one referenced in my last post, where I give much more detail.
    Regards,
    Fred Sturm
    "Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them." Coco Chanel




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