Key Bushings

[Richard Moody]

I use a square tin with a slot cut in the cover and lay 4 or 5 keys
with bushings across the slot.  Oh there is water boiling in the tin.
 By the time I have laid them on, I can start with the first one.  
	But I like Ron's pressure cooker and will try that next time. My
slotted boiling water box is trickey esp if the wood gets mushey, as
in bushings that are not original.I can envision a jig to hold a key
to the steam while removing the bushings from the key just heated. 
And it sounds like the answer to the steam generator I have wanted
for a long time.  But what to use for optional add on tube? 

Richard Moody 

----------
> From: Ron Nossaman <nossaman@SOUTHWIND.NET>
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: Key Bushings
> Date: Friday, February 06, 1998 8:10 PM
> 
> Hi Jim,
> 
> Very frustrating. I've had sets do this to me when I was using the
wet felt
> strip and iron torture system. I haven't since I changed methods.
It's
> either dumb luck (on which I rely heavily) or a better method. I
bought a
> small pressure cooker at an estate sale, pitched the popoff weight,
and
> ground the lid nipple to a taper on the tip. When it's wheezing a
good head
> of steam, I set the key on top (front bushing) and rock it about 45
degrees
> first one way, then the other with a 3-5 second pause on each side.
For the
> center, I set the balance rail hole over the tapered nipple and lay
the flat
> side of the top of my tweezers over the bushing to contain the
steam and
> count to 5. That's Midwestern and Northern seconds. You only need
about
> three Southern ones since they're a mite slower. The concentrated
super heat
> and humidity seems to blast into the bushing and soften the glue
before the
> wood behind it turns to mush. Anyway it has for me for the last
three years
> or so. Since I've said this in public, though, the next one will
probably
> get me good. Come to think of it, I have had a tough set with this
method.
> Pre-wetting worked on that one but it sounds like it wouldn't with
the set
> you have. Anyway, even though sympathy is as useless as a rubber
duck full
> of rocks, you have mine. I can probably generate a little sympathy
too. %-)
> 
> Ron
> 
> 
> 
> At 04:10 PM 2/6/98 EST, you wrote:
> >List;
> > I am currently working on a set of keys whose front rail
bushings, indeed the
> >entire front of the keys, has been soaked in McLube or some
similar substance.
> > My usual method of soaking the bushing, allowing to stand, and
then steaming
> >is not working especially well.  The water alcohol mixture is
beading up and
> >the steam does not seem to be penetrating as well as it normally
would.   This
> >is causing quite a bit of 'tear out' in the mortises.  The old
bushings are
> >glued in with the white heat activated wafers.
> > Any ideas? Tricks? 
> >Jim Bryant (FL)
> >
> 
>  Ron Nossaman