Hi Marshall, Maybe someone will be able to chime in with a good place to outsource the key bushing work, but I would encourage you to become comfortable with this skill sooner rather than later. It is often one of the very first necessary steps in preparing a piano for careful regulating, and it can make such a difference on so many pianos, not just those with moth damage. Bill Spurlock has some excellent articles on his site at www.spurlocktools.com that helped me get up and running with this skill. I purchased the cauls Spurlock sells, and they are not that expensive--the cost can be recovered very quickly. Maybe somebody can pinpoint which volume of the PT Journal had instructions for a tool carved from a hammer shank for checking the depth of the bushings. I would look it up myself, but all of my journals are across town in my shop. It was probably 2007 or 2008. I also use the key bushing ironing kit (based on a soldering iron) from Pianotek. I know there is disagreement on the value of this, but having had to replace a set of key mortises that someone had trashed with key easing pliers has prejudiced me on this to some degreee. And I like the results I'm getting. Floyd Gadd Regina, SK Quote: I have a customer who had the same problem with felt being eaten out of her piano. All of the key bushings were gone out of the keys both balance rail and front rail gone just red residue. Someone or thing was very hungry that day. This piano was an Otto Altenberg, pardon the spelling. This piano was very Asian in design with the plastic dowel capstans etc. Who does key bushing replacement here on the East coast I can send these to if I can get her interested that is? I've learned how to do this, but this might take me longer than I have time for. I'd like to practice this more first to get that correct depth with the key caul etc. I mean this piano had green dust too. I spent a good while with the vacuum, her vacuum. she said little bugs at the felt. My next question is this. I went to tune a Baldwin console about two weeks ago. two of the keys I believe 59 and 61 were split in two. it was one of those newer black lacquer pianos. Asian? Not certain. One key was cracked and ready to split. the second was split all the way. At the school we were shown once to take a couple keys from each side glue the cracked key and use masking tape and tape seve ral keys together so that the repaired key stays in the proper position etc. Is this the best route to take or is it possible to get another key or two? I'll try this repair, but how is using tight bond for example to fix that crack going to make it as strong as it once was in the past? I just cannot grasp that. The key will still have that crack even if the two pieces are glued together even if exactly as it shoudl be perfect. The crack/split will still remain. What do you guys do with split keys? I gently explained tha t one deson't have to play the piano hard at all times and the mother was OK with that. She also reminded her daughter to go easy on the piano. She's anxious to get this done because she asked if she could start bugging me soon. lol I'm just anxious to get this blind services to help with my PTG dues like they said they would, really get into this and become an RPT like you guys and over come these challenges which I know I can. Well thanks everyoneMarshall215-510-9400http://www.phillytuner.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20121109/0383d48c/attachment.htm>
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