Teflon bushings: (was Re: Pinning on new flanges}

[A440A@aol.com]

<< I was under the impression that one of the problems with teflon was wood 

swelling and squeezing the bushing thus tightening the flange... is this 

another urban legend? >>

Not really. The wood distorts in response to humidity changes. 
    If the hole was round when the wood is dry, it is oval when the wood 
absorbs more moisture,(wood changes far more across the grain than with it).  If 
the hole is round when the wood is damp, it becomes oval when the wood dries 
out!   
   Teflon bushings require so little compression to give the proper friction 
that any distortion that causes loss of round will allow noise.  The smaller 
teflon used in the earliest actions would distort and stay that way.  I 
recently repinned the damper action of a 1962 M that used cloth in the action, but 
teflon in the damper assembly!  I repinned it because it was too tight to allow 
proper damping.  It had never been worked on before, Go figure...  
Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html