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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I rarely have to bother with steam from
the key bushing iron. Usually just soak the bushings with the alcohol/water
mixture, insert a hunk of felt (like your wedge) in the bushing to hold the
water right there on the bushings, let soak for a few hours (sometimes over
night) and the bushings just all but fall out (some just fall out). When
white glue has been used, then I do need to apply the hot key bushing iron to
the pre-soaked bushings.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>None of this bothers keytops. Be careful to not put
so much water in the mortise that it pools at the bottom of the
mortise.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And Jon Page is right on with his Spurlock
mortise-sizing caul comment.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"> </DIV>
<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 color=#000000 size=-4><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4>Use a Key Bushing Iron. Make
wetting wedges out of felt (hammer felt trimmings).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4>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 color=#000000 size=-4><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4>When the bushing is sufficiently
steamed, insert a newly soaked wedge into</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4>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 color=#000000 size=-4>removal while you are removing the
previously steamed bushing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4>It moves along quickly enough,
figure 1 to 1.5 hr. per rail.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4>Once the steamed bushing is
removed, insert a Spurlock sizing caul</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=-4>to aid in uniform mortice
dimensions.</FONT></DIV><X-SIGSEP><PRE>--
</PRE></X-SIGSEP>
<DIV><BR>Regards,<BR><BR>Jon Page</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>