Front Rail Bushings

[Farrell]

Front Rail BushingsI rarely have to bother with steam from the key bushing iron. Usually just soak the bushings with the alcohol/water mixture, insert a hunk of felt (like your wedge) in the bushing to hold the water right there on the bushings, let soak for a few hours (sometimes over night) and the bushings just all but fall out (some just fall out). When white glue has been used, then I do need to apply the hot key bushing iron to the pre-soaked bushings.

None of this bothers keytops. Be careful to not put so much water in the mortise that it pools at the bottom of the mortise.

And Jon Page is right on with his Spurlock mortise-sizing caul comment.

Terry Farrell
  ----- Original Message ----- 

  >...to remove the bushings was with a hot iron and damp rag.  Well, that'll work fine if I'm >replacing keytops at the same time since the steam will work the tops loose.  But I want to >remove front rail bushings only, and I want to find out something that will work better.


  Use a Key Bushing Iron.  Make wetting wedges out of felt (hammer felt trimmings).
  Make about 5, soak three ahead of the iron.  Add a touch of denatured alcohol to the water container as a surfactant.   A production would be to insert 3 soaked wedges into the mortices, after the first one is wetted, insert the iron.


  When the bushing is sufficiently steamed, insert a newly soaked wedge into
  the third one away, move the iron to the next bushing. As you go, adjust the temperature on the iron so that the bushing will be steamed enough for
  removal while you are removing the previously steamed bushing.
  It moves along quickly enough, figure 1 to 1.5 hr. per rail.


  Once the steamed bushing is removed, insert a Spurlock sizing caul
  to aid in uniform mortice dimensions.
-- 

  Regards,

  Jon Page
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