Balance Rail Bushings

[William R. Monroe]

Hi John,

Me?  Get glue where it shouldn't be?  Shame on you for suggesting that.  My glue is always perfect ;-]  I've never had glue beads below the bushings, and when I did, a fine exacto worked well to remove them (double ;-]).

After the very steep learning curve, no, not much trouble.  You develop a feel very quickly for how much glue is the right amount (at the right consistency), so the problem of squeeze out it eliminated.  The key here is letting the glue tack slightly as well, which allows you to lay the cloth across the keys, bench, your head, whatever without transferring glue.  The warmed cauls then ensure a good bond when they are inserted.

Without heated brass, you may have some adhesion problems letting the glue tack before inserting.

As someone once said, ".....If anything goes wrong, go back to the beginning."

William R. Monroe

  William R. Monroe wrote:


    Nothing says you can't apply the glue to the cloth using the Bushmaster
    system.  A fellow tech told me of this method, and I've used it since.
    Using hot hide, apply the glue to a length of cloth (about enough to do a 
    dozen keys).  Give it a moment to begin to tack, then begin bushing.  I use
    cauls that are heated, sitting on a hot plate (coffee mug warmer).  Works
    rather well.

  I'm certainly no expert on key bushing.   But wouldn't that tend to get glue where it's not supposed to be?  Do you have any problem with glue "beads" that develop below the bushing? 


  What I usually do is glue up ~6 mortises, then move as quickly as possible with the Bushmaster and double-shoulder Spurlock cauls.  If I can remember, I'll try your method the next time I have a bushing job. 


  I'd like to get the brass cauls from Pianotek.  But with the few bushing jobs I have thus far, I don't know if it would make sense to get them.  I know -- it's just money.  :-) 

  -- 
  JF 
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