Key structures ...

[MICHAEL MORVAN]

Alan,
    The cap is a mortise cover, better quality keyboards actually had a square mortise that went through the key and than was covered, the notch you see is a mortise relief cut for the bushing cloth, this allows the cloth to be folded over for a better 90 degree foldover in the mortise. The reason you see the notch far back on the natural is because they cut these relief cuts when the keys were not yet cut apart and that notch will line up with the mortise in the sharps.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Alan Barnard 
  To: Pianotech List 
  Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 6:12 PM
  Subject: Key structures ...



  Four questions I can't answer:

  1.  This is a key stick from an old Kimball upright which, judging from the trapwork, MIGHT have been a player, although there is no folding control bar in the front, just a normal keyslip, and no other evidence of "stuff" ever mounted to the case.  Did some companies make piano models that could optionally be fitted for a player mechanism or just sold as a regular piano?

  2.  Each key has an extra layer laminated to the top, just the same length as the key covering (in this case a very tenacious, rubbery plastic), so it sticks up about 3/16" higher than the rest of the key. Wassup widdat?

  3.  Then there is the inserted piece below that, over the front rail pin area. Did they, maybe, cut the front rail slot all the way through the key, then glue on little caps?

  4.  And then there is the narrow notch, at the bottom just left of center in the picture. I've seen these before but don't have a clue what they're for. There is nothing different about the key bed, so what's with the notch? 



  Thanks.

  Alan Barnard
  Salem, Missouri

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