how about? for damper felts

[Allen Wright]

I've never had problems with steam on keys, either.

Does anyone ever size the balance holes by inserting key pins in them  
right after they're steamed (and leaving until dry)? Similar to  
Spurlock's sizing cauls for the mortise, in other words. I've always  
meant to try that...but perhaps something a thousandth or two bigger  
than the pins in the piano might be necessary? Anyone have experience  
with this? Seems like it might  prevent much of the need for easing,  
if it were done right.

This may have been discussed on the list before, but if so I missed it.

Sincerely,

Allen Wright

On 19 May 2007, at 14:09, A440A at aol.com wrote:

> John writes:
> <<
> No need to make 88 wedges. I'm leary of using a dampened cloth with  
> an iron
> or live steam because with my luck, it would lift the key buttons  
> and ivory.
>>>
>
>       I have used live steam for the last 25 years and I have never  
> had a key
> button lift or an ivory come loose.  I use a home-made steamer that  
> takes
> about 6 seconds per mortise.  The advantages of steam are that it  
> doesn't stain
> the keybuttons, resizes the balance rail holes, is FAST, cheap, and  
> will undo
> those white glue bushings from the 1960's as fast as any other  
> kind.      It
> also makes cleaning the gunk off the sides of the accidentals easy.
> Regards,
>
>
> Ed Foote RPT
> http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
> www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html
>  <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> See what's  
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