travelling paper

[A440A@AOL.COM]

Jason writes: 
>I use masking tape. Before travelling the hammers, I lay out about 6" of
>1"
>masking tape on a piece of 1x3 and use a razor blade to slice it into strips
>about 1/8" wide. These are easy to pick up with tweezers, easy to place,
>stay where you put them, and are easy to remove.

Aha!  so you are the one?  (:)}}  
   I have regulated several actions where masking tape was used and would 
really like to discourage it, (for two reasons). 
   One is that the longer strips of brown tape are easier and quicker to 
handle.  I usually have five or six lengths hanging out in front of the 
flanges as I work. This puts them very close at hand and as I decide how wide 
a piece the next flange's traveling or spacing calls for,  I have the full 
range right there on the rail, I just tear it off from under the edge of the 
flange it was used on last and put it on the one I am working with.  This 
keeps me from constantly picking up the dropped pieces of paper, or looking 
around for the next one. 
  The second is more long term.  I don't think that the masking tape is as 
stable as the brown paper.   The masking's adhesive is solvent based,(as 
opposed to water based brown tape, and it gums onto the rail felt(Steinway). 
When the flange is unscrewed and pulled off to retravel or space, it usually 
makes a mess that requires completely repapering the flange.  On the older 
Steinways that used linen, I have seen masking tape that tears the cloth, 
creating a new set of problems when putting the flange back in place. (I 
don't reuse the old cloth on action rebuilds, but working on older actions, 
in place, I do like that cloth to stay on the rail when I pull that 70 year 
old flange off to travel or space it.  
   Just my thoughts, 
Ed Foote RPT