oh yes, Terry, I've heard people mention this felt wedge technique: so, should I presume that you have 88 little wedges for all the keys? This technique sounds like it might be even more focused than just soaking the bushings. I like the brass caul/soldering iron idea - I'll have to make a tip like that for my soldering iron. Sounds like the cat's meow... Cheers, Allen Wright, RPT London, UK On 19 May 2007, at 00:04, Farrell wrote: > I've never tried wallpaper remover with water - although I hear > very good results are had with that combo. I have always used > denatured alcohol & water - about 50/50 on both damper felts and > key bushing felts. Once the felt has been wetted, one can switch to > straight water. The 50/50 initial ratio seems to not be critical at > all. If hide glue had been used, after several hours of soaking, > felt simply falls off - no cutting, tugging, scraping - no nothing > - felt simply falls off. > > For white-type glue in key bushings, I have soaked with alcohol/ > water overnight. I place small wedges of dense felt in the mortise > to hold moisture right at the key bushings. Then I hit each bushing > with a very quick application of a dedicated hot key bushing > ironing brass piece in the soldering iron. The quick blast of heat > on the soaked bushing gives the bushing glue a shot of steam and > makes them all but fall out. Unfortunately there remains some glue > residue on the wood. :-( > > I wish it were a law to only used hot hide glue on key bushings. Pa- > foo-ee on anyone that doesn't. ;-) > > Terry Farrell > ----- Original Message ----- > > While we're on this subject - I just introduced the notion of using > a damper felt removal solution (diluted wallpaper remover and > vinegar) rather than the manly (or womanly) slicing off and sanding > of old felts (the old-fashioned method they've been using here), > into the milieu of the Steinway London Restoration Centre, where > I've been working for the last few months. Lightbulbs went on above > heads when they realized how much time they won't be wasting > anymore if they incorporate this cheeky American technique : ) > > I've always figured that the ratios of the different ingredients > were not particularly crucial - just a well-diluted solution. Does > anyone have any comments on that? Is the vinegar really necessary? > I think my solution morphed over the years from one including > alcohol-water-vinegar to the present one, for vaguely remembered > reasons.... > > For keybushing removal here, they've been using pure "meths'", > which as far as i can tell is a mix of ethanol and methanol (yikes > - isn't that toxic?) and lots of tugging and slicing. I think the > American solution will be an improvement with that, as well. > > I know: steam and wet cloth works very well on key bushings also, > but that's probably a little too radical too present here. > > I'd be curious to hear if there are any other ideas on glue > softening solutions. This one works best with hide glue, naturally. > Anybody have a solution for white and other more stubborn glues? > > Sincerely, > > Allen Wright, RPT > London, UK > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070519/f35abcbc/attachment.html
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