applying Teflon powder

[Farrell]

Barbara and All - I have been using this procedure of Spurlock Keybushing 
System, Teflon powder, hot iron for some time now and have found it superior 
to anything else I've seen.

Someone asked the question of how hot to have the iron - kinda like 
Goldilocks: hot enough, but not too hot - sorry, never measured the temp. A 
drop of water on the caul is a good temperature check. If I remember 
correctly, I like to have the water evaporate in a second or two - not 
remain forever and not disappear is a nano-second - so perhaps my caul is 
right around 220 degrees F. But test it - if it is too cool, it just does 
not iron the felt effectively. If it is just right, it does not burn, but 
first insertion is snug and subsequent insertions are more loose. If it is 
too hot, it burns. Get the caul just right and then test with water and 
observe - that way you can make any temperature mistakes in the future with 
a drop of water rather than a bushing.

The other thing I wanted to comment on is longevity. I service a piano in a 
piano bar on a cruise ship - Yamy C3. My understanding is that this piano is 
played six to eight hours a day. Did I say played? I mean pounded on - lots 
of broken strings, cigarette-burnt keytops, high-heel scratches in lid, etc. 
I've seen bushing jobs on this piano that only lasted a month or two. More 
than a year ago (maybe more than two) I rebushed the keys on this piano 
using the Spurlock Keybushing System, Teflon powder, hot iron procedure. The 
keys are still just like the day I installed them. We had been thinking 
about trying leather bushings, but the reports about leather and brass 
keypin incompatibility steered us away from that. This Spurlock Keybushing 
System, Teflon powder, hot iron technique seems to be very long lasting.

And last note, Jon described using a pipe cleaner to apply the Teflon. I 
also use a pipe cleaner. However I make a loop at the application end of the 
pipe cleaner so that more pipe cleaner gets into the bushing - and IMHO more 
Teflon gets into the bushing. His technique might be more efficient if 
enough powder gets into the bushings. I like to really "pour it on" - Bill 
probably likes me also!

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message ----- 
> Grasshopper, the tool is made from two items.
> A pipe cleaner and a length of player piano tubing.
SNIP
> Jon Page