<HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2873" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV>You can purchase, via the PTG web site, a book called "Keys."</DIV> <DIV>It contains about 50 articles on key repair, which will help you get started.</DIV> <DIV>Ivories come in many sizes, thicknesses and tones.  You would probably do best to "harvest" the ivories as a start on your collection of repair pieces, and recover with plastic.</DIV> <DIV>Ed Sutton<BR><BR><BR></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: Samuel Choy <SAM@SCPIANOSERVICE.COM><BR>Sent: May 5, 2006 9:17 AM <BR>To: Pianotech List <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Subject: Ivories on an old Kimball Grand <BR><BR><ZZZHTML style="FONT-SIZE: x-small; FONT-FAMILY: MS Sans Serif"><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA content="text/html; charset=windows-1250" http-equiv="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2873" name="GENERATOR"> <STYLE></STYLE> </ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY bgColor="#ffffff"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Hello,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>As I explained before, for learning experience and hopefully to resell, I am refurbishing an old WW Kimball Grand, made around the 30's. The key tops have the original elephant ivory. However, 20 of them have ugly cracks and some are yellowing. </FONT><FONT face=Arial>I tried ordering some used ivory tops from Schaff, but they not have any in stock. I've seen some on sale on eBay, for a log more than was printed in the Schaff catalogue.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Do you recommend looking for replacement ivory or would you recommend replacing them with acrylic or ivorine tops?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thanks.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Sam Choy</FONT></DIV></ZZZBODY></ZZZHTML></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY>