Replacing keytops

[Les Smith]

Jon:

Personally, I can't imagine trimming keytops with anything but a 1"
belt sander. (One with a provision for dust collection) It does 95%
of the work, leaving only a small about of by-hand finishing necessary.

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net

On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Jon Page wrote:

> Sam, List:
> I'd be interested in other's procedures and some input on mine.
>
> To start with I measure the overall height of the original and remove old
> top (heat if nec.).
> Next, I plane the surface. On a drill press, I use a plunge router bit(*) as
> it has cutting surfaces
> on the bottom for a clean surface. The key is clamped in a drill press vice,
> set the depth of
> cut to maintain the original dimension with new material and passed under
> the bit. Testing
> squareness. A stop allows a square cut at the back length of the tail for an
> inlaid look.
> (What I don't like about key machines I've seen is the blade kerf in the key
> beyond the plastic).
> The new keytop is the same height above keystick as original ivory. PVC-E,
> no clamps.
>
> I don't trust myself with belt sanders for trimming, so I hand file and fit
> tail notches to sharps.
> Takes time but it comes out nice.  Where's a trimming machine?
>
> The one thing I don't like is the letters embossed on the key, >input on
> removal - filing,
> sanding, etc<  or where is there material (moulded) without the idiot proof
> markings.
> (C & E tails are wider than B's & F's).
>
> Thanks,
> Jon Page
> Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> (*) Woodworker's Supply     800-645-9292        3/4" #818809
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Jon Page
> Harwich Port, Cape Cod, Mass. (jpage@capecod.net)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>