<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Claudia,</DIV> <DIV>I've done this to many old beater uprights in old folks homes, = community centers, etc., where getting money and a consensus to replace the ivory = with plastic is simply not going to happen. I protect the key slip with a = length of painter's release tape and use the full length of a bastard file (teeth = filed away on one edge) sliding atop the key slip to quickly remove = the jagged fronts and reduce them all down to a smooth line. Takes less = than five minutes. A sanding paddle works just fine too, and can smooth = the transition of top to front a little.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The feel may not be the same but at least the number of bandages = used gets reduced :-)  Bring your favorite ivory glue along because there'll = be a good chance you will knock some fronts loose in the process. (I use = dabs of thick CA glue)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Remember, the above procedure is for really brutal looking = keyboards where the benefits of reducing those sharp, jagged edges outweighs doing = nothing. If there would be complaints about feel then, have the owners dig into = their pockets to have the keys resurfaced correctly. I would never perform the = "waterfall look" on a decent set of ivories where proper repairs could = be made. And paid for.</DIV> <DIV>Joseph Alkana  RPT<BR><A href="mailto:josephspiano@attbi.com">josephspiano@attbi.com</A></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=claudia_cimenti@mail.com href="mailto:claudia_cimenti@mail.com">Claudia Cimenti</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 28, 2002 = 12:06 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Ivory Keytops - "Waterfall"</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV>Hi all,<BR><BR>I read that one occasionally does a = "Waterfall" procedure on ivory keytops, <BR>which consists of removing the = lip.<BR><BR>Has any of you ever done this? What's the best tool for the job?<BR>Does = it throw the pianist "off" not to have that lip?<BR>Any comments in general?<BR><BR>Just another newbie question... Thanks in advance for = all your continued help.<BR><BR>Regards,<BR>/Claudia<BR><BR>-----<BR>Claudia Cimenti<BR>Northborough, Massachusetts<BR><A = href="mailto:claudia_cimenti@mail.com">claudia_cimenti@mail.com</A><BR>= -----<BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>