[pianotech] From the Dark Side Hiserical Segment

[Joseph Garrett]

3.From: Michael Gamble
Posted: Sunday February 24, 2013 8:10 AM
Subject: RE:Birdseye
Message: Another 'two bits' worth coming up about bird's eyes. I - along
with most/all of you - was aware of this design but didn't know it had the
mane of 'bird's eye' until a little while ago. I have been ruminating about
the way it was made and so went to my box of old action parts to try and
discover the possible tooling needed to produce this part of the action. I
looked at levers (whippens?), damper bodies and hammer butts and in every
case found one common feature: the bird's eye is a profile and central to
the part of the body of the action part being scrutinized. That said it
occurred to me that birds' eye and all its surrounding area were profiled by
just one tool - a 'drill' bit having the maximum size of 9/16" and of
necessary shape to produce such a profile. I can only assume the centre hole
was already drilled and that this profile bit had a non-cutting centre brad
which revolved in that hole. Looking at any action part - whippen, butt or
whatever - you can see what I mean. The 'land' area around the bird's eye is
surrounded by a circular ridge as must have been cut by the profiler at the
same time as the bird's eye. Wow! What a description. Apologies all! 
Michael (UK)

Sheesh! Where the hell do these guys come up with this crap? The Bird's Eye
is made in one operation: Drilling, conturing and dimensioning! Always has
been.
Joe


Joe Garrett, R.P.T.
Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
http://gpianoworks.com/