Subj: key bushings

[A440A@aol.com]

 Beverly Kim writes;

>After removing the felt on a set of keys, I discovered that the WOOD on
>the sides of the front rail mortises were slightly concave.  Heretofore,
>I'd only observed that shape because of the compressed felt.

  <snip> any suggestions  ?

     A new layer of wood, solid and even, makes keybushing a lot easier and
 more stable.
With a chisel of the appropriate width, the sides of the mortise can be cut
down just enough to remove the concavity .    Then a small piece of thin
veneer, of what ever thickness you need, is glued in with the grain lying in
the same direction as the key. The spring type bushing clamps will supply all
the pressure you need, if the surface is flat.
      This veneer need not extend farther up the mortise than twice the width
of the cloth you will install,  but it should form an even butt joint front
and back.  I cut the end grain pieces off a fletch using the chisel width as
a guide. This mates my dimensions.
      If you glue the veneer in with Tite-bond, and then use the hot hide
glue for the bushings,  the next tech to rebuild the board will thank you.

The success of the above procedure is DIRECTLY proportional to the sharpness
of the chisel.  When it is scary sharp, and you have good light and bench
position,  you will quickly be able to "plane" down the rough inner surfaces
of the key mortices.

 regards and Good luck ,  ( a lotta techs would have just glued some thicker
cloth in there, your investigation of more thorough treatments is
laudable,..(:)}}} Laud, laud...

Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn