Keytop Trimming Question

[Sarah Fox]

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Hi Dave,

It probably depends on who is going to play it.  I have a couple of =
(barely) overhanging ivories on my piano, and they snag my fingers =
during some fast passages.  It drives me nuts.  I even managed to cut my =
finger once on an ivory.  If the pianist is demanding, especially =
regarding speed, I'd definitely trim them.  Otherwise... ??

Peace,
Sarah

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Dave Smith=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 12:14 PM
  Subject: Keytop Trimming Question


  Looking for a little help on a keytop job for my Wing&Son upright =
project:

  This is only my second keytop job, so I am pretty low in the learning =
curve, but did learn a lot from the first job on an old Merrifield =
upright.  Don't worry, these jobs are both unpaid, learning projects.    =
But the Wing&Son deserves probably more than my best effort.  Great old =
piano, which will be a gift for my sister when completed.  The old ivory =
key heads were all missing, so I removed the key tails, routed down the =
entire surface using a Genesis jig (thanks Rick Snelson), so that the =
thicker new keytops won't make the keys taller.   Fronts were all good =
shape, so just cleaned up and buffed them (ivory).  Got Vagius Satin =
Ivory one-piece keytops which match the ivory fronts.  Used PVC-E glue =
and clamped with rubber bands and scuba weights.  Keytops in the front =
part are all almost exactly the right width and lined up as well as I =
know how. =20

  Here is my question:   The keytop TAILS are generally lined up =
perfectly on one side but some overhang the key just a bit on the other =
side (generally on the right side of C's and G's, for example, in the =
tail area.)  They all fit nicelyhowever,  when installed with the sharps =
back in the piano.  Is it more important to have the keytops sides =
trimmed exactly even with the key wood, even if the keys fit nicely =
together and the cracks between them are straight and even before =
trimming?  Some of the old keys have worn and been sanded perhaps to the =
point that making the keytops exactly fit the key would probablymake the =
resulting job look worse.  It seems to be that the appearance of the =
final product is the KEY, so to speak, as long as any overhang of the =
keytop doesn't cause chipping or other failure problems, and as long as =
the tail widths dont create interferrence when installed.

  I would appreciate any comments, both on my question, or on the =
overall job I described. =20

  Dave Smith
  SW FL

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