Pulley keys

[k.swafford@genie.com]

From: ZAB5@aol.com:
>Has anyone discovered any new methods to treat pulley keys?

from Mark Dierauf:
>I've always termed this condition "key chuck".

Not to be confused with a "chuck key," right?      @8^)>

My bread-and-butter method for sizing BR holes is to remove the keys
from the keyframe, coat the BR pins with McLube, place an
action-length voicing stick (or a key slip or a length of dowel rod)
at both the front rail and the back rail.  Coat the sides (and area
around) the BR hole with diluted [frankly, I don't think the ratio is
at all critical] aliphatic resin glue with a paint brush small enough
to fit into the BR hole itself.  Let sit for a bit, then blow out the
excess glue from the hole, and place each key back on the key frame,
with the sticks keeping the keys (and glue) safely elevated above the
BR cloth punchings.  Let sit overnight, then remove the keys, clean
the tiny bit of glue off the BR pins (your fingernail may even work),
and then re-fit the keys, because most will now be too tight.  A few
may need a second treatment, or:

from Barbara Richmond, RPT:
>In extreme cases where glue sizing or steaming haven't worked, I've
>used my handy x-acto saw (it's the right width) to saw a shallow kerf
>on the offending end of the balance hole (across the entire width of
>the key) and then glued in a veneer shim.

I use the mini-cuttersaw from Spurlock Specialty Tools.  It is a
pull-saw and makes the kerf in one pull.

from Newton J. Hunt:
>Ralph Onesti has taken the old insert idea and created a new
>system...   The guide pin perfectly centers the key and the cutter
>cuts out material to accomodate the new insert.

There is a slight problem with this system that must be allowed for.
Keys that are bad enough to need inserts, have balance rail holes that
are grossly enlarged.  The guide pin in Onesti's system "perfectly
centers the key" only if you can determine where the original
(smaller) hole was, which may be difficult.  One might be able to use
thick paper balance rail punchings to help relocate the original hole:
Lightly glue a punching to the bottom of each key;  place each key
back on the key frame and adjust each key in relation to the others
(i.e.,  so that the key fronts line up);  the keys will be adjusted
and temporarily held in place by the paper punchings, the adjustment
itself being made by moving the paper punching on the bottom of the
key until its hole, temporarily serving as the balance rail hole for
the key, properly locates the position of the old hole.  Let the
punchings dry in place and then use the punching hole to allign the
guide pin of Onesti's tool (and just drill away the paper punching in
the process).


                                             Kent Swafford

                                             My political post:

                                             Chocolate-haters of
                                             the world, unite!

                                                   @8^)>