How to Make a Piano Hammer Head

Piano hammers are cut from a single piece of wood.

Making a single piano hammer head is a tricky process. When a piano is made, the maker creates all of the hammers at once from a large piece of wood with the felt stapled into place. The entire strip is cut using a special saw that creates all 88 hammers.

Things You'll Need

• New hammer head
• Old hammer head
• Rotating circular sander
• 90-grit sandpaper
• Wood glue
• Small "C" clamp
• Medium-width steel wire
• Drill
• 1/16-inch drill bit
• Pliers

Instructions

1. Lay out your new hammer head and place it next to the new hammer head piece. Compare the size to ensure that it will fit cleanly into the piano. If the new hammer head is too large, sand it down so that the two pieces are identical in size.

2. Remove the felt from the old piece. Peel it up very carefully to avoid tearing it. If it was stapled into place, carefully remove the staples before pulling off the felt.

3. Place some wood glue on the top and bottom of the new piano hammer head and lay the felt onto the new piece. Place the hammerhead into a small "C" clamp to dry.

4. Drill two perfectly vertical holes through the felt, wood and other side of the felt using a 1/16-inch drill bit. The holes should be placed 3/8 inches from the front of the felt.

5. Shape a piece of medium-width steel wire into a "U" shape.

6. Thread the wire through the hole so that the two ends are on the bottom of the hammer head.

7. Twist the ends together so that they remain in place and cut off the remaining wire, leaving behind a 3/8-inch tail.

8. Push the tail against the felt so that it lays down completely flat.

9. Install the new hammer head.

References

• Piano Owner's Survival Guide: Piano Hammer--Reattaching Hammer Head Felt