>What about setting the key on a slightly elevated position where the key >forward end of the bottom rests on a rod or thin wooden riser (say 1/4" by >1/4" cross section, and 1" long) that is oriented perpendicular to key >length. This, with 90° rotation, is how the Oslund key machines are set up. Index is off of the bottom front, and the top about six inches back. The key is laid in on it's side, levered against the front and rear stops and guided through the cutter by the operator holding the back half of the key. Indexing from the top of the key will prove to be a less than ideal method on the first set you get which has loose or missing keytops, which will be the second set you do after building the jigs, and three out of four of all the sets you do for the rest of your life. The only thing I hate worse than keytops is refinishing, or breaking by foot, or redoing something, or dropping my bushing cloth in the glue pot, or the flu. Well, ok, maybe it's not that bad. Just for the sake of argument, say you've perfected top removal. Now how do you do the fronts? Ron N
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