Installing new key end felts

[Mark Dierauf]

Wow - that IS a nice cutting blade, and I can see where it would be even
easier (and probably more comfortable) than the one I use. 
 
As for applying glue to the wood instead of the felt, I have always done
it this way, and for two reasons: First, I am able to load the felt with
enough glue to be sure that I'm getting good adhesion (I've never had a
glue failure using this system), and second, I have no problems with
gluing keys together! There are some applications where I might apply to
the wood, but for thicker materials (key end, back rail cloth, etc.) I
prefer it this way.
 
Thanks again for the pics, 
 
- Mark Dierauf
 
-----Original Message-----
From: John Delacour [mailto:JD at Pianomaker.co.uk] 
Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2006 5:51 AM
To: Pianotech List
Subject: Re: Installing new key end felts
 
At 3:00 pm -0400 5/8/06, Mark Dierauf wrote:
 
...I apply the glue only to the felt, not to the keysticks. I
use lengths of thin wood strips on top of the felt to apply even
pressure with two or three large spring clamps, and clamp each section
down to the edge of my work bench...
...then slice the keys apart using a long blade in a large X-acto handle
 
At 9:11 pm -0400 5/8/06, Mark Dierauf wrote:
Before I started using the longer blade (I used to use a single edged
razor blade) and cutting from the top down I sometimes had slight
problems because the sides of the felts weren't always parallel with the
key sides. They sometimes therefore ended up a bit wider or narrower at
the top...
 
I have some suggestions to make. First, the glue must be hot and of the
consistency of warm syrup, and it should be applied quickly to the key
tails, say a dozen at a time, all nicely aligned and held tight
together.  I would never apply glue to an absorbent material like felt,
but always to the wood, and I've always thought this was common workshop
practice.  Immediately the key ends have been brushed with the glue, put
on the felt strip and press it down with the fingers so that the glue
gets a good hold on the under-side of the felt.  No clamping is
necessary but it's important to leave the keys undisturbed until the
glue is set hard.
 
For this sort of work I never use little disposable blades but have a
variety of proper knives that I keep razor sharp using a belgian stone
followed by a razor strop.  Illustrated below is a knife that would be
ideal for this job.  This is made from an old cabinet scraper set in a
beech handle, which happens to be the centre of a copper reel but could
be anything.  The scraper is about 6" x 3" and the angle of the blade is
very acute.  The handle serves also to preserve the angle of the blade
while sharpening on the stone.
 
With such a knife you'd have to be very careless to get anything but a
perfectly vertical cut.  Please let me know off list if you can't see
the inserted pictures.
 
JD
 
 
 

 

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