Continuing with hammers, Why should hammers be filed and shaped?
As the piano is played, grooves are dug into the hammer head. The harder the piano is played the deeper the grooves get. This causes a wider area of the string to be hit by the hammer thus making tones that were not intended for the ear to hear. A hammer will last a lot longer on a softer played piano.. But Hey!! That is what is meant by FORTE!! And pianos are make to play soft and loud.
When a hammer is shaped the surface is filed down to keep the original crown of the hammer. A steady hand is needed so the hammer is not mishappen while sanding. This is a relatively quick maintenance procedure and not as expensive as if one waited until the hammers were no longer servicable. And the original hammers will last a lot longer if they are shaped every couple of years or so. Also, the tone will stay pleasent to the ear.
Voicing...What is it and how can it change the sound.
Voicing is the art of softening or hardening the piano hammers. This is done either because the musician is looking for a softer tone or a more brilliant tone. To create a softer tone, needles are pressed into the hammer felt thus loosening the felt fibers. To create a harder tone the hammer is coated with a chemical specially made to evaporate. The hardener in the chemical stays in the hammer thus making a more brilliant tone.
For obvious reasons this should be done by a professional because the piano can be ruined very quickly if the procedure is not diagnosed or approached correctly.