Balance Rail Holes - Worn

[David Nereson]

barr8345@bellsouth.net wrote:

>Hi Terry,
>I have had great success repairing this type of damage using maple veneer. Mount a balance rail pin in a scrap board, position key upside down and saw a kerf the thickness of the veneer about 1/4 inch deep using the balance rail pin as a guide. Glue the veneer in this kerf and you will have a permanent repair. I can't remember which manufacturer's rep suggested this repair to me but it does work.
>
>Norman Barrett
>Memphis Chapter
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 7:16 PM
>Subject: Balance Rail Holes - Worn
>
>
>Hello Listees,
>
>I'm rastling with the keys and keyframe of an old, well worn, WNG action. I'm trying to decide what to do with the center keypin key holes. I have limited, as best, experience repairing key center pin holes. The picture below shows the worst of the obviously worn keys. I'm just kinda feelin' that these are past the point of gluing in a shim. Waddaya ya'll think, and what is the latest and greatest regarding rebuilding a key center rail pin hole? Thanks.
>
>Terry Farrell
>_______________________________________________
>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>
>  
>
    I didn't look at the pictures, but my own old upright had extremely 
worn and over-treated balance pin holes.  They'd been eased, shimmed, 
sized, poked, elongated, etc.   I almost went the Spurlock route of 
inserting 1/8" basswood inserts (see May 1990  Journal) but decided I 
didn't want to do that much work.  So I opted for installing oversize 
balance rail pins.  I did drill the key holes on the drill press, with 
the table set at the correct angle, but I was able to just drive the new 
pins into the existing holes in the balance rail without drilling them 
out first.  See also Susan Graham's article in Oct 1988 Journal; and for 
the front pin mortise, Fern Henry's article in the May 1989 Journal.
    --David Nereson, RPT