Steinway Key Bushings

[Ron Nossaman]

At 12:35 AM 5/24/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Just happen to be rebushing a badly mistreated set of Steinway keys.  Older
>model (angled capstans) that was rebushed recently (by someone else) using
>plastic resin glue.  Of course, this type of glue does not re-hydrate but
>rather turns into a bubble-gum-like mess when steamed.  Removing these
>bushings damages the mortices which are now so wide only the thickest
>bushing cloth works with the 0.162 (balance) and 0.146 (front) cauls.  The
>front mortice shoulders are completely gone.
>
>Anyone ever reconstruct damaged key mortices?  Is quality key button
>material available for this size of keypin?  I presume the piano would be
>worth the cost of attempting this.
>
>Regards,
>
>Stan Kroeker
>Registered Piano Technician
>
>Kroeker & Sons Piano Experts
>59 Quiring
>Winnipeg, Manitoba
>Canada  R2G 1Y5
>
>www.pianoexperts.mb.ca
>


So why couldn't one make a brass caul, dimensioned at the top to the desired
mortise size, and tapered a couple of thousandths of an inch narrower at the
tip? Then you could slide the caul in the key mortise, pour in some medium
thick CA in each side, hit it with accelerator, tap the caul with a hammer
to break the bond, and pull out the caul. Dadoing across the bottom of the
key would restore the shoulders on the front mortise. Now, what kind of glue
will stick to CA to install the new bushings? Then again, you might be
better off just replacing the buttons and dadoing out the bottom of the keys
and laying in standard size key button material, glued with Titebond. Come
to think of it, I've never had to replace a set of S&S key buttons. Are they
available?

 Ron