Front Rail Pins

[DGPEAKE@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 11/22/99 5:47:55 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
pianoserv440@juno.com writes:

<< List:  I am asking for info this time and will gladly attempt to absorb
 whatever you can provide regarding this:
    I just rebushed ( and recovered ) a set of keys for a Kimball piano. 
 Measured the width of the balance and front rail pins to determine which
 caul(s) to use.  Today I went out and reinstalled the set - but I had to
 ease the daylights out of the first couple of keys that I installed (
 read ERROR).  I stopped at that point and looked at my work and at the
 piano - only to discover that someone in the past had rotated the oval
 front rail pins - in some cases more than 45 degrees.
    How, or with what, does one guage the pin's aligned so that the  axis
 that defines the narrowest portion of the front rail pin is in the
 correct position ie. as in a new piano??
 All I could do was "eyeball" them into position and there has to be a
 better way.
 Still learning and thanking you in advance.
 
 John R. Fortiner
 Billings, MT. >>

If I understand your question, you want to be sure that the front rail pins 
are lined up properly.  To do this, get out your offset key spacer, and 
before installing the keys, put the tool on the pin, move it right and left, 
visualizing a clock.  Right and left movement should be at 7 and 5, or 8 and 
4.  If the alignment is off, move the pin until you achieve those readings. 
It should only take a few minutes to do the whole set.

Hope this helps

Dave Peake, RPT
Portland Chapter
Oregon City, OR