[pianotech] pully keys

[Mike Morvan]

John,
    Sorry for the confusion, hot melt is a gummy, plastic type of glue  like 
PVC-E that can be spread onto bushing cloth, allowed to dry and they 
inserted into mortises and buttons. It is then heat activated to make it's 
bond. It's the current production method of bushing keys. I did not mean to 
confuse hot melt with hot hide glue which we use for bushings and feel is 
best.
    I have not seen any maple used on vintage Steinways, they did have caps 
on the top of the key and shoes on the bottoms of some models as you stated, 
but the ones I have seen were all basswood. Basswood is harder than 
sugarpine or spruce and is a hardwood, but  a soft one at that.
    Good luck, balance holes are tricky to replace. Please be aware that 
several of the methods of fixing balance holes that are available as kits 
and some of the shimming methods mentioned, all fail to take into 
consideration where the balance hole was originally. If the original 
location of the balance hole is not determined prior to some type of repair, 
than the key position can be off in relation to the pins and neighboring 
keys. This will be visible and have regulation consequences.   Mike

BLACKSTONE VALLEY PIANO
Michael A. Morvan
76 Sutton Street
Uxbridge, Ma 01569
(508) 278-9762
www.pianoandorgankeys.com
mike at pianoandorgankeys.com
www.thepianorebuilders.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Delacour" <JD at Pianomaker.co.uk>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: [pianotech] Pully keys


> At 13:29 -0400 19/4/10, Mike Morvan wrote:
>
>>...I think that keyboard manufacturers have finally realized the 
>>importance of a harder more wear resistant material in the balance rails 
>>and buttons because I'm seeing a lot of hardwoods (or harder woods) being 
>>used now than in the past. Now if we can just get them to stop using hot 
>>melt glue on their bushings, one battle at a time.
>
> "Finally realized"??!  They've known it very well for two centuries. Even 
> Steinways have known it, and surely on older Ds they had a 4" or 5" maple 
> undercarriage on the keys to strengthen them and provide a hard balance 
> hole, didn't they?  What I think you mean is that they have realized their 
> penny-pinching in the past is giving them hassle or bad feedback or 
> something. PR is far more important than quality.
>
> And what's wrong with animal glue for the bushings?  It worked perfectly 
> well for 150 years and it works well now.  I've rebushed a set of keys 
> today with it.  What are you going to do to stop me, and why?
>
>
> JD
> 
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