keytops

[Tony Caught]

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Mickey, Mike, Ken, List.

You are both right and I agree with all. Have done it both ways and have =
come up with these answers.

Planing or routing the keytops down, then sanding level to give an =
overall thickness of the key as per the original specs has always been =
my method.

I am sick and tired of tuning pianos with new keytops just stuck on =
after the ivories have been removed so I bought a set of sharps cut the =
old ones off and stuck the new ones on. Viola, problem solved.

Point is I now believe that I have been doing it the wrong way. What I =
should have been doing is replacing both the thicker white and thinker =
black keytops.  Less tools required, minimal jigs in fact I did the =
above on a piano in the house with just filing the sides of the keys. =
And it worked out fine. (*customer was 800 kilometres from workshop =
anyway)

Regards

Tony Caught
Australia
caute@bigpond.com

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Mike Kurta=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 6:18 AM
  Subject: Re: keytops


      Ken, I beg to differ.  It is vital to keep the overall height of =
the key and keytop the same AFTER the new tops are installed as they =
were BEFORE.   If one is removing the original thin ivory and replacing =
with thick plastic, the key will be substanstially higher when put back =
into the piano.  This can lead to the keys contacting the fallboard, =
keeping them from returning to their full up position, causing the tops =
of the sharps to be level with the naturals when depressed, and/or a =
myriad of regulation problems.  The first rule of keytop replacement is =
"maintain the original dimensions."  If you are replacing old with new =
of the same thickness, fine.  If not, there may be a problem.  =
FWIW......
      Mike Kurta
    ----- Original Message -----=20
    From: KENNETH FINLAYSON=20
    To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
    Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2003 1:37 PM
    Subject: keytops


    Take your time, Mickey. Never take any wood off a key.

    Kenny=20

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