<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type="text/css"></style><title>Front Rail Bushings</title></head><body> <div>>...to r<font face="Arial" color="#000000">emove the bushings was with a hot iron and damp rag.  Well, that'll work fine if I'm >replacing keytops at the same time since the steam will work the tops loose.  But I want to >remove front rail bushings only, and I want to find out something that will work better.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">Use a Key Bushing Iron.  Make wetting wedges out of felt (hammer felt trimmings).</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">Make about 5, soak three ahead of the iron.  Add a touch of denatured alcohol to the water container as a surfactant.   A production would be to insert 3 soaked wedges into the mortices, after the first one is wetted, insert the iron.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">When the bushing is sufficiently steamed, insert a newly soaked wedge into</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">the third one away, move the iron to the next bushing. As you go, adjust the temperature on the iron so that the bushing will be steamed enough for</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">removal while you are removing the previously steamed bushing.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">It moves along quickly enough, figure 1 to 1.5 hr. per rail.</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000"><br></font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">Once the steamed bushing is removed, insert a Spurlock sizing caul</font></div> <div><font face="Arial" size="-4" color="#000000">to aid in uniform mortice dimensions.</font></div> <x-sigsep><pre>-- </pre></x-sigsep> <div><br> Regards,<br> <br> Jon Page</div> </body> </html>