I think poplar is best for balance hole replacement and very good for buttons. Poplar is harder than the original keystick materials but softer than maple. Poplar is also very dimensionally stable for a harder wood when compared to maple or beech. There is however a lot of manufacturers using beech & maple for buttons and shoes, are they on to something or is it just the local substitute as has been suggested? Mike Blackstone Valley Piano -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Delwin D Fandrich Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 10:18 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] buttons and shoes - was pulley key... I pretty much concur with Ron. Maple--or birch or beech or whatever the local substitute is--for the buttons. Poplar--or, again, whatever the local substitute is--for the shoe. It's on the top of the lever where tensile strength is important. For the same reason I don't like using thinned hide glue to size the balance pin hole--it makes the thing too hard and if there is any gap they click. Maple is too hard for the shoe. If ever there is a slight gap they click. The shoe material doesn't really have to be all that hard to hold up well; remember there are millions of spruce, pine, bass or whatever keys out there that have worked pretty well for a really long time. And, of course, a few that didn't. ddf Delwin D Fandrich Piano Design & Fabrication 6939 Foothill Court SW, Olympia, Washington 98512 USA Phone 360.515.0119 Cell 360.388.6525 del at fandrichpiano.com ddfandrich at gmail.com -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Love Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 6:53 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] buttons and shoes - was pulley key... Thanks for changing the subject line. And what's your reasoning for not wanting maple on the shoe? David Love www.davidlovepianos.com -----Original Message----- From: Ron Nossaman [mailto:rnossaman at cox.net] Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2012 5:23 AM To: davidlovepianos at comcast.net; pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] buttons and shoes - was pulley key... On 9/26/2012 11:49 PM, David Love wrote: > On a related matter, what's your opinion about the type of wood that > should be used for key shoes and buttons. How hard is too hard, how > soft is too soft? Del's may differ, but my preference is maple or poplar for buttons, and poplar for shoes. Ron N
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC