Thanks to each of you for adding your thoughts and advice. Here's a brief update and summary so far.
- I've spoken with Ray. He already has an apprentice. But there might be an opportunity to visit and learn when things are in the less busy time of year.
- If an opportunity ever arises to purchase, apprentice or become the operator of a hammer shop, perhaps you'd share that with us here!
- So far, three individuals have been mentioned as possibly having a hammer press and knowledge of the process. Thank you for this valuable information. If any of you have these folks' contact info if they are not on PTG.org, please consider sharing it with me privately so I can contact them. Thank you!
- Just a reminder if anyone can recommend books that include information about making hammers?
- Chris, I concur that Ash is a lovely, durable material and could be tested for hammers. Absolutely magnificent, isn't it? Discovered recently that it is breathtaking in appearance when planed extremely smooth.
- Alan and Steven, Bamboo is an interesting one, isn't it? Perhaps one could test some tail shaping on solid non-glued bamboo and find out if the intrinsic nature of Bamboo would work long-term for hammer-checking. For the rest of a hammer core, solid Bamboo would work fine, you'd think, so if it makes a good hammer-checking surface, great. And then of course, how does it contribute to tone / acoustics.
- Jason, thank you for your input on leather outer surface and composite hammer cores. Any update on the leather hammers over time would be fascinating. You're probably aware that 3D printing is now available in many types of materials, some of which are very high quality. Printing hammer cores with the finished shape, before pressing could be very interesting and save a lot of labor costs from machining wooden cores. However, I wonder whether folks who want a traditional hammer would want a composite core. However, that shouldn't deter anyone from experimenting and innovating either :)
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Tom Wright, RPT
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-13-2021 01:48
From: Thomas Wright
Subject: Make a new piano hammer?
Dear colleagues,
- Does any interest exist in some type of collaboration to design, build tooling for, and make piano hammers?
For starters, would anyone be kind enough to recommend books or other resources that include information about hammer making? Would anyone be willing to loan such resources if they are rare or out of print? I am happy to pay shipping costs.
What if a hammer were designed and made openly so that piano technicians and anyone else knows in specifics how it was made / how variables could be changed on demand? Is this feasible / viable?
I've thought a little bit about eventually making hammers over the past several years. This is the first time I've gotten serious enough to start pursuing full info on the topic. If you have any contributions, they will be welcome. Surely some other techs have seriously considered this or even done it in the past. Perhaps you can suggest someone that could be contacted.
Worst-case scenario we all learn more about hammers. Best case scenario, one or more of us might eventually get involved with making another piano hammer for the trade.
Sincerely,
Tom Wright, RPT
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Tom Wright, RPT
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