key broken by two techs

[Tvak@aol.com]

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List
Got a call from a lady who said, 'her key was broken'.    Skeptical, I asked 
her about it, and she says that two technicians have tried to fix this key and 
now it's worse than ever.   So, intrigued, I made an appointment to go look 
at it.

Turns out the key itself did break and the previous technician spliced it 
back together with splints on each side.   Looked well done.   Things is...it 
looks like he ADDED a bit of wood between the two pieces of the key and now the 
key is too long.   It sticks out 1/16" past the others in front.   I looked at 
it from every which angle and it is definitely too long between the balance 
rail pin and the front of the keytop.   And there is definitely a piece of 
contrasting wood between the two parts of the key.   Unbelievably, it looks like he 
put some wood inbetween, making the key longer.

Why?   Why would he do this?   And when she pointed out to him that it looked 
terrible, he said he couldn't do anything about it and left. 

Anyway, here are my two options for remedying this and I'd like to hear pros, 
cons, or other alternatives.

#1: This key is a pulley key anyway.   Even when pushed all the way back, 
though, it's still 1/16" too long.   So...I could drill out the front rim of the 
balance rail hole, making the front of the balance rail hole closer to the 
front.   Then treat it as a pulley key; saw a kerf and insert some veneer in the 
back of the hole, effectively moving the balance rail hole forward 1/16" and 
therefore moving the front of the key backward.

However this will also move the capstan, backcheck and keyend felt back 
1/16", too.   So, my best option, I think is:

#2: Get a handsaw, and saw the key in half, somewhere other than where the 
splice is, but in front of the balance rail hole, and then glue the two pieces 
back together.   If I use a big old lumber saw, I should lose a 1/16" just 
where the saw ate the wood up.    Glue it back together, and it's 1/16" shorter!

I'm not going to get two chances to fix this.   This key already has two 
splices in it (it has broken twice in two different places).    It's a dogleg key 
with a notch cut out of it for the glide bolt, so structurally it's the 
weakest key you could imagine.   The piano is a THE HAMILTON grand.   (That's what 
it says, THE HAMILTON.)

At this point, it's a matter of pride that I be able to fix this key that two 
other techs screwed up.   And...I told her in addition to my hourly rate, my 
fee would include knowing who this other technician was.   But only if I were 
able to fix the key.   If not, she could tell my name to the guy who did fix 
it!

I guess a third option would be moving the balance rail pin back 1/16", but 
that also would move the capstan, etc. back, so I still think the saw is the 
best alternative.

Any thoughts, advice, flames?   

Tom Sivak
Chicago

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