trimming new keytops

[William Monroe]

Ed,

A router is no more dangerous than any other shop tool.  As with everything, know what you are doing and use appropriate safety measures.  Your method works, and I'm not suggesting you change if you get the results you want.  Using a router with a flush trim bit works so well for me to very quickly get the bulk of the top trimmed  to the side of the key.  I finish up with fine sandpaper and the buffing wheel.  For the notch I built the spurlock jig, and it is fantastic!!  It's pretty nice to have a set of keytops come out with all the notches on exactly the same line, even without having the keyframe for reference.  

William R. Monroe


  Shawn-

  Those keytops are hard, and take longer to file than other brands, but it's worth it for the result.

  Imagine for a moment what it will cost you if you overcut just one of the keytops, and you will se the value of patience in this job.

  Glue some Tri-X sandpaper onto 1/4 inch plywood paddles, about 3 inches wide. Make sure the paper is glued down tight and flat.  Make sure it comes right to the edge of the wood, and doesn't overlap the edge.
  Make100 grit for fast cutting and 200 grit for finishing. The broad, flat paddles will prevent gouging and curving in on the sides, which can happen with a narrow file.

  Use a bench vise to hold the key. Glue action cloth to the vise jaw so it doesn't scratch the keytops.

  Clamp the key in the vise, with the keytop against the jaw and the side you're filing almost flush with the tops of the jaws. Hold the file almost parallel to the side of the key. Make 2 or 3 passes and check your progress. Soon you'll be able to feel the moment when the paddle is just starting to scrape the wood.

  Dealing with the notch is hard to describe in writing. After filing, I often use a very sharp knife to trim the corner of the notch.

  (Don't use a router. It's a very dangerous tool, and you don't get a second chance.)

  Ed Sutton
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Shawn Brock 
    To: Pianotech List 
    Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:51 PM
    Subject: trimming new keytops


    List,

    can anyone give me an idea for the most accurate and least costly way of trimming new keytops?  I have installed the German one peace tops and fronts sold by Pianotek and now need to perform the worse part of the job...  Filing these is a time consuming activity!  So I'm thinking the obvious thing to do is cut the tops flush with the side of the key and round off the edges and corners afterward.  I don't have a router and don't really want to get one, so how about a Dremel?  Would that work worth a darn?  Any suggestions?  I have no plans of going into the keytop business but I have two other pianos that need tops and I'm to cheap to send the work out.  The way I see it is I have the time so why not just keep that extra money I would spend to farm the work out.  Thanks as always!

    Shawn Brock, RPT
    513-316-0563
    www.shawnbrock.com
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