keytops (Question)

[John Delacour]

At 09:26 15/10/01 +0200, Richard Brekne wrote:

>I hear a lot of folks talking about using routing or sawing techniques in some
>way for removal of old key tops / fronts in preperation for renewal.
>
>I would like to hear a bit about why you all do this instead of using some
>form of heating up the the old keytops so as to "peel" off the old top / front
>material.

Me too, Richard.  I've been reading this thread in amazement and feeling 
thankful that the Atlantic Ocean is likely to prevent me ever having to 
deal with one of these doctored keyboards.

 From what I gather, it's not a question of removing the old coverings but 
of removing a thickness of wood under the covering so that the fat stick-on 
key covers will not be higher than the original ivory or whatever.

My first reaction is, what is the point of going to all this work in order 
to fit nasty fat acrylic key-covers when you can have the keys recovered by 
a specialist in thinner sheet material, either grained celluloid or the 
latest industry standard grained polyester?

Secondly, what difference is it going to make on many repair jobs if the 
wood of the sharps is a millimetre or less above the level of the woods of 
the naturals ads a result of raising the sharps to the new level?  The 
answer is virtually none, and if it's necessary to plane a mm. off a grand 
fall to accomodate the fat key-tops, that's not the end of the world 
either.  If you're going to use these dreadful key-tops to start with, why 
balk at removing a tiny amount from the fall, which can easily be built up 
in the future if necessary.  Nonew of this would be necessary if the keys 
are properly recovered.

Many years ago, when I could not trust the specialist firms to do a good 
job, I did sometimes use moulded sets of covers, and if it was a hight 
class job, I would remove the ebony sharps and raise these using a couple 
of thicknesses of walnut veneer to keep the wooden tops level.  To prise 
off 36 ebonies and raise them is very quickly done and there is no damage 
to the keyboard.

Nowadays I wouldn't consider using moulded tops.  Either I recover the keys 
myself in sheet stock or I send them to Kluge or a very good English organ 
keyboard firm, and have them beautifully done in polyester sheet.

This routing and planing business is about the wildest thing I've read on 
this list in the past few weeks, and I've been reading some pretty wild things!

JD