Sawdust Rebushing

[BSimon1234@AOL.COM]

Thought I would change the subject  from "noisy key inserts" because the
techniques are unrelated except for the problem they solve.

Years ago I had a piano with really large holes for the balance rail pins, a
case that looked perfect for inserts, but  I had experimented with the inserts
enough to know I hated them.

I did this:

1 - swabbed the holes with a pipe cleaner and 5 minute epoxy, 6 or 7 keys at a
time, leaving just tackiness, not a lot of glue.  

2 - set them on waxed paper,  dropped some coarse pine sawdust (about the size
of pretzel salt) down through the top, tamping it  into the hole a bit with a
tiny rod, let fully cure.

3 - blew the sawdust out

4 - eased the holes - Voila!

Adhering to the epoxy in the swabbed holes was a layer of grains of pine
sawdust, enough  that they reduced the size of the hole. Then, with a tapered
key easing tool they were either squashed against the sides, or driven
somewhat into the soft wood of the key, that they then provided a quiet,
correctly sized,  hole.  I also tried this with ground pecan shells that I use
in sandblasting, but did not think it worked as well.

I don't do this all the time, as it is seldom necessary, but then putting in
inserts should not be done on every piano! I do know it worked out very well
on that, and one or two other pianos.  (By the way, I bought out a shop and
have four or five cutters and thousands of inserts if anyone wants to buy
some, - have had them, brand new, on a shelf for years, and would not consider
using them.)

Bill SImon
Phoenix