[pianotech] balance hole jig

[Encore Pianos]

I share David Skolnick's question about oblongated or pulley keys.  It is an
important one because this is most often the reason why we go to all this
trouble to repair the balance rail holes, along with the noise associated
with their sloppy movement.  While Jim's jig is superb, I have to wonder if
it would move too freely in an overly oblongated hole, and create
inconsistencies in the length of the key front to balance rail hole
distance.  

My way of accommodating this is to have the keys on the frame without the
stack on and the key front resting on the front rail punchings.  I lift  a
key off the rail, invert it, slop a little hide glue around the hole.  Then
I drop a thin cardboard balance rail punching in place,  and  set the key
back on the  balance rail pin.  I have a small straight edge pressing
against the front of several keys on each side of the particular key, and
press the key front of the individual  against it.  Hold in place for about
10 seconds or so, and move on to the next one.  Done carefully, this will
give you a consistent fore and aft index for the new hole.   

Presumably, this step could be added to Jim's procedure when needed to
achieve the necessary consistency.

Jim, your further comments?  I love your jig and definitely am going to make
one.

Will Truitt

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of David Skolnik
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 9:56 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] balance hole jig

JIm -
Continuing to live dangerously  (unmasking the simpleton behind the
curtain), you said:
>The jig's center pin is a .146 balance pin stub.

Would I assume that if the key frame used .162" pins, or other, you 
would modify the jig accordingly?  Also, is it correct that you are 
keying off of the original balance hole?  If so, and 'ovaling' has 
taken place, how do you accommodate?  Have you used this system to do 
an entire set?

Regarding the data you're seeking, I'm sure there are many others, 
but Bob Marinelli at Pianotek or Mike Morvan at Blackstone 
Valley  www.pianoandorgankeys.com  would likely have something useful to
say.


David Snoc


At 09:23 AM 7/27/2012, you wrote:
>David S ( no c) said:
>
><It seems like it would depend upon the length of the straight 
>portion of the key stick for a particular model. I must not be 
>understanding the question.
>
>Yeah...I hit the send button before that post had fully ripened.
>
>What I meant to say was, tooling up to make a "for sale" jig means 
>making the jig fit many different applications and key configurations.
>
>This jig works if it has a flat plane to sit on.  Any key which has 
>no sole would work fine with the jig as designed, since the keys 
>bottom offers a nice flat plane for the jig to sit on.  On the other 
>hand, some keys  have a sole. Depending on the length of the sole, 
>and on whether that sole is proud of the bottom of the key or flush 
>with the bottom, a one size fits all jig length becomes a bit tricky-er.
>
>My question was how common is it for the sole to project. Those of 
>you who have been looking at key bottoms for 30 yrs, I thought, 
>might have more of an idea of how common the projecting sole is, and 
>maybe even how wildly the relative length of that sole varies.
>
>My own private plan, since the jig is so dead easy to make, was not 
>to worry about it, and spend the couple of hours to make a custom 
>jig if some key bottom configuration comes along that doesn't fit 
>the existing design.
>
>Jim Ialeggio
>
>--
>Jim Ialeggio
>jim at grandpianosolutions.com
>(978) 425-9026
>Shirley, MA