Shimmel piano tuning

Good evening,

thank you very much for the answers.

I still have one doubt.

With continuous use, the string leaves a groove on the tip of the hammer, which gradually becomes deeper because the string tends to penetrate further and further into the hammer. Since the impregnant makes the hammer harder, could it also make it more resistant to the string?

Or not?

Thank you again,

regards

Dear Salvatore, the grooves on the hammers are an inevitable consequence of use and normal wear and tear of the instrument, which on good pianos like yours only becomes a problem after many years; at some point, the moment for replacement comes for everyone. Shaving and hardening are useful palliatives, more at a commercial level.

Let me explain: if a piano is restored and one wants to sell it, shaving a hammer rail makes the selling price higher by saving quite a bit of money, but risking a little, which should have been invested in replacing hammers and shanks.

It is also excellent advertising for the tuner who performs the intervention; you or whoever plays the piano for a few years, even 4/5 in cases of amateur use, will be satisfied with the sound and the work, which will have only postponed the complete replacement of the hammer rail, identical to the original in shape, thickness, and weight.

Good morning everyone,

In my previous post, I had already answered your question.

I confirm that the use of impregnating agent on the hammers has no relation to preventing wear, also because the hardener should only be applied to the shoulders of the hammer and never on the striking part, i.e., the apex.

Yes James. However, two techniques exist. The first does not involve impregnating the tip. The second impregnates the entire hammer. In the second, voicing is more difficult. Many companies, including Steinway, after creating the pp cushion at the striking point, apply a very light brushstroke of impregnant followed by a "caress" of extra-fine sandpaper. This is precisely to isolate the tip and make the surface more durable. In reality, the procedure is complex. Furthermore, resistance to "grooving" also depends on the quality and the pressing process of the felt.

Everything is clear,

thanks,

regards