>> Old Chickerings show signs of this having been done, consistently >> with four dimples in the wood around the holes. > I wonder if they had a four prong dimpling tool? Yes, probably something like that, maybe mounted like a pinning vise with a stop. Ch. sometimes omitted forming birds eye bearing surfaces and instead cut the bushings proud so this may have been thought as a sort of thrust bearing for the bushing. In many instances, I've seen these on wooden flanges which are engineered to fit rails more appropriate to brass flanges (tapped steel bar inlaid, very small vertical offset between rail and action center) - I don't think the little brass flanges showed these dimples but might need them, while their wooden versions have so little material around the bushings the procedure may have harmed them. > The voicing needle works up to a point for key bushings. The tool sold for this purpose looks like a front mortise caul, angled to form wedges to either side of the insert (used to cut the cloth when bushing). The wedge angles aren't very far from perpendicular, though, so pressure meant to squeeze the mortise smaller very easily could squash or break it instead. At least in modern harpsichords sometimes a slit is made next to the mortise and a thin slip of something inserted to adjust its width, a more permanent and elegant fix. But with bushings, why not just rebush. Clark
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