twisting front rail key pins

[David Ilvedson]

Amy,

Do you have Schaff catalog?   They are in there...you could make the tool...
Think the problem through.  
 How do I turn an oblong shaped pin?  ()  
If it was round, O, it would be harder to manipulate...

Hopefully, you didn't rebush the keys with the front pins turned?
  
David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, California






Original message
From: "Amy Zilk" 
To: "Pianotech List" 
Received: 6/22/2006 9:04:41 AM
Subject: Re: twisting front rail key pins


How do you untwist them?  I just rebushed a set of keys and some of the pins had been twisted.  I wasn't able to untwist any of them.  I didn't have any tools that didn't slip.  Do you know of any tools that work for this?  For that matter, what tool did you use to twist them?  

Thanks in advance,
az





Porritt, David wrote: 
You’re not missing anything.  That’s the reason the front rail pins are oblong and now round.  Replacing the bushings is a better solution but in a pinch I’ve turned quite a few!
 
dp
 
David M. Porritt
dporritt at smu.edu



From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Tom Sivak
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 10:31 AM
To: pianotech
Subject: twisting front rail key pins
 
List
 
I've always been told, "Don't twist the front key pins to eliminate side motion on keys that have the key bushings worn out."  And I've always accepted that.
 
Last week I was at a composer/friend's house.  He has a 1930s Kimball grand, really worn out.  I did a full regulation on the piano, and he didn't want to pay for new key bushings, so I twisted them, and the difference is wonderful.  No side play on the keys, feels like a million bucks.
 
Now I understand it would be unethical to do that to a piano and then sell it, hiding a problem, but what's wrong with improving the play of a piano by doing the same?  Sure, it may accelerate wear on the bushings, but the bushings are worn out now!  They need replacing already.  All this does is extend the deadline and make the piano play much better until D Day comes.
 
Am I missing something?  What's the down side to this?

Tom Sivak
Chicago
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