Bushmaster question : Alternative to filing off brass end

[Frederick G Scoles]

On Wed, 27 Mar 1996, Greg Newell wrote:

> >hole in the key.  Too little would be better then too much
> >
> >The bushmaster puts a piece of cloth closer to 3/4 the width of the hole.
> > (I'm talking about a hole for a .146" key pin)  Since I bought it, I want to
> >use it!  (<---My Scottish blood talking there), but not if it's not going to
> >allow me to do the job correctly.  I'm just curious if anyone else feels this
> >is too much, (or have I been using too little?)
> >Gordon Large
> Gordon,
>     Could you not just file some of the brass off of the end that pushes
> felt in the key untill it suits your needs?
>                 Greg

Filing brass from the working end would permanently shorten the
Bushmaster.  Why not fabricate a couple thicknesses of plastic (nylon,
perhaps) spacer washers which could be temporarily pressed or glued over
the end of the tool so that only the desired depth of brass extends into
the key mortise.  This way, one could preserve the original depth of the
tool but easily alter the depth of cloth for certain pianos.  Thin teflon
sheet or silicone rubber might also make good spacer washers to slip
over end of the Bushmaster.  Like Paul K. and others, I've had no problem
with the original depth built into the tool; but I feel a temporary
alteration of the tool would be better than filing off brass. This is
just an idea I haven't tried.

Fred Scoles, RPT
scoles@oswego.edu