<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style></style></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I’ve had to remove ivory that was glued down with CA glue and other substances when replacing with plastic and Joe is right that it’s easy to damage the wood underneath.  However, since the tops of the keys will be planed down some to accommodate the added thickness of plastic, you can sand off the old ivory carefully on a belt sander until you just remove it.  Then when you plane the key tops down (I use a router jib set up for this) then the planing of the keytop will remove any unevenness that results from the use of the belt sander.  You usually have an adequate margin of error.  <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>So the procedure would be to first remove the old ivory by the traditional steaming method or similar process.  Whatever doesn’t come off that has been glued down with something impenetrable you use a belt sander and carefully take it down to the wood where the router jig set up will clean it up.  <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>David Love<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>www.davidlovepianos.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>chrisstor@aol.com<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 24, 2012 6:42 AM<br><b>To:</b> pianotech@ptg.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [pianotech] Safe-T-Planer<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>"...In the past I've used the Safe-T-Planer for this job, but<br>I've quit that, since I've not been happy with the inconsitency of the keys<br>coming out Square..."<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Joe Garrett<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>.....At the end of the email you said you were no longer using the Sate-T-Planer<br>to plane the top of the keytops.  Just wondering, how are you doing it now?<br><br>David Weiss....<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Joe, <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>I second David's question.  I use the Safe-T-Planer with good results and haven't had the out-of-square problem you've cited.  Can you expand a little bit on the out-of-square results you get with the Safe-T-Planer?  What might've caused it?  What's your alternate method for planing down keytops now?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>When I'm using the rotary planer, I'm careful to square the drill press table to the chuck, and lock everything down firmly.  <br>As I'm planing the keys, I check my thickness with calipers for each of the first few notes, and then one note per octave thereafter.  I've never had an out-of-square issue that I noticed, but then maybe I'm not looking hard enough.  I acknowlege that I have to do some minor squaring and spacing of keys when the whole set is finished, but I just figured that was part of the deal in putting on new keytops.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>If you have the time to write, I'd like to hear about your experiences.  Thanks.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Chris S.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Belmont, MA<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>