key bushings

[Ed Sutton]

Fred,
This is a very valuable post you have written.
Thank you.
Ed Sutton

----- Original Message -----
From: <fssturm@unm.edu>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 19, 2002 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: key bushings


> Wim,
>    I don't want to appear to "pile on," but I do want to quibble with you
about the
> notion that they are "only" the practice room grands you were
contemplating
> putting plastic bushings in.  Practice room grands are #3 on my priority
list, right
> behind concert instruments and piano faculty studios. They are where piano
> students try to learn to play with nuance and artistry, and need to be in
top
> shape all the time, within the limits of available time and resources. And
piano
> students are my main reason to be working in the music department.
>     With respect to the practical issue of keeping up with key bushing, I
think
> beginning with a top quality job is the only way to go - beautifully sized
bushings
> of top quality felt lubed with teflon powder, on beautifully polished pins
lubed
> with ProLube.
>     To get more life from a new set of bushings, try steam sizing them.
Put the
> keys in key clamps (Spurlock), steam the bushings with travel iron until
they
> swell (but don't actually unglue), follow with a key easing iron with
precision
> cauls (Pianotek has a new set of parallel sided cauls for your 40 watt
iron, with
> separate sizes for balance and front rail a few thousandths apart. I'm not
sure if
> it's in the catalogue yet, but they had them in Chicago for $15 a set.
Very nice
> and precise). Polish the pins, lube them with a cloth that's impregnated
with
> ProLube, feeling each pin for any burrs or corrosion. Replace those! It
takes far
> less time to replace a pin than to replace the bushing it will eat up in a
few
> months at practice room rates. You should also inspect the bushings before
> steaming to see if any are worn badly - it's obvious if they are the kind
with white
> centers, and pretty easy to see even if not. Then examine the
corresponding pin
> to see why. (If there's a lot of wear, steam sizing isn't worth the
trouble. Just
> rebush).
>     BTW, for anyone who doesn't know, the easy way to remove key pins is
to use
> a pair of "dikes" (the auto mechanic's term for diagonal cutting pliers)
and a
> piece of 1/4 - 3/8" dowel or square stock. Use the wood as a fulcrum,
about 1/2"
> away from the pin. Grab the pin with the tip of the dikes at the pin's
bottom and
> pry up about 3/16". Release and grab again at the bottom. Three pries and
it's
> out. Pound in the new one. Half a minute, max. No sweat, no cussing
(compared
> to pulling with pliers or vice grips). _Grab_ the pin with the dikes. Make
a dimple
> in each side. No slip that way. You're going to throw it away.
>     Steam sizing reverses compression of the felt pretty well. It does
little for wear,
> which is why polishing and lubing and replacing pins is so important.
Scales
> and glissandi cause rapid compression, which is why practice room bushings
> become wobbly so fast. Often it's more compression than wear, especially
if it
> was a good job to begin with (see above).
>     There are those who advocate leather for longevity, and you can read
about
> that in the archives. Myself, I prefer a high quality felt job - wider
range of
> available thicknesses, easier to precision size. But we all have our
preferences.
> Regardless what material you use, the feel of a firm but free keyboard is
the
> goal - it makes an enormous difference to the pianist, whether or not
he/she
> knows where the difference lies. It's the "new" feel, and adds a sense of
control.
>     The intense work required by practice room grands (in tandem with
concert
> and piano faculty pianos) is why the workload recommendation in the
> Guidelines is so seemingly high. I remember you commenting you thought a
full
> time job caring for 70 pianos would be a walk in the park, when you first
took the
> job. It's keeping up with bushings, and hammers, and knuckles, and
regulation,
> and broken strings, and, and, and . . . - keeping those practice pianos
almost as
> good as a concert instrument all the time - that really defines what being
a
> CAUT is all about, IMO. And means a lot of hours, more than anyone in the
retail
> field could imagine.
>     All that said, thanks for asking about the plastic cauls. Keep
questions and
> ideas coming. It keeps us awake and alive.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
>
> Quoting Wimblees@aol.com:
>
> > It's always fun to go off on tangent on a questions. It adds some
> > levity to
> > the list. (Can I throw in my glue gun?)
> >
> > But besides just telling I should not use plastic bushings, I don't
> > think any
> > one told me why they should not be used. Remember, I want to put
> > these on
> > practice room grands, not the concert grand or the piano teacher's
> > studio
> > pianos.
> >
> > Be gentle
> >
> > Wim
> >
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