keytop trimming (HELP!)

Brian Trout grandrestorations@yahoo.com
Mon, 10 Jun 2002 14:40:22 -0700 (PDT)


Hi Greg,

If the sides of the keys aren't perfectly
straight, neither will cuts being indexed to
them.  Unfortunately, things can happen to a set
of keys over the course of a a half century or
more, and some things can be built in from the
start.

I've never tried using a router jig to trim the
sides.  I normally use the 1" belt sander you
refer to and maybe dress things up with a small
file and perhaps a bit of sandpaper here and
there.

I have known of people using little more than a
selection of hand files to do the job.

It's one of those jobs that there's no one right
way to do it, only what looks good when you're
done.  

I have never tried to use a router jig because it
always seems that there are lead weights where
the router bearing would ride which would do an
undesirable number on that keytop or some other
defects or gouges or such that it just wouldn't
work so well.  

I know, I know, this is the age of power tools! 
;-)  And it kinda goes against the grain to think
about more "primitive" tools.  But with the
perhaps some roughing in with a belt sander and
the right couple of hand files, it just might not
take all that long to do a really classy job.

Good luck,

Brian T.



=====
Brian Trout
Grand Restorations
3090 Gause Blvd., #202
Slidell, LA  70461
985-649-2700
GrandRestorations@yahoo.com

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