<HTML><HEAD> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2722" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER= -LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"> <P><BR>Just don't try to re-engineer the Betsy Ross...;-]</P> <P>David <BR><BR></P> <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5p= x; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message<BR>From: "Alan Barnard" <TUNE4U@EARTHLINK.NET><BR>To: = Pianotech <PIANOTECH@PTG.ORG><BR>Received: 9/28/2005 4:48:48 PM<BR>Subj= ect: RE: key broken by two techs<BR><BR> <DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Without seeing = the actual damage and condition of the key, and without knowing your wo= odworking capabilities, I offer only this thought: I would not reengine= er the piano to match the butchered key. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Rather, I would restore the = key, even if it meant manufacturing a new one, or maybe everything from= the just behind the keytop to the back of the key and assembled with a= dove-tail joint, or something similar, that provides some mechanical s= trength and lots of glue contact surface area.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face="MS Sans Serif" size=2>Tomorrow, I get to tune "The= Betsy Ross." Pray for me.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Alan Barnard</DIV> <DIV>Salem, Missouri</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT= : 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"= ><B>From:</B> <A title=Tvak@aol.com href="mailto:Tvak@aol.com"></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> 09/28/2005 6:32:47 PM </DI= V> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> key broken by two techs= </DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT face== Geneva color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF">List<BR>Got a call= from a lady who said, 'her key was broken'.   Skeptical, I a= sked her about it, and she says that two technicians have tried to fix = this key and now it's worse than ever.  So, intrigued, I made an a= ppointment to go look at it.<BR><BR>Turns out the key itself did break = and the previous technician spliced it back together with splints on ea= ch side.  Looked well done.  Things is...it looks like he ADD= ED a bit of wood between the two pieces of the key and now the key is t= oo long.  It sticks out 1/16" past the others in front.  I lo= oked at it from every which angle and it is definitely too long between= the balance rail pin and the front of the keytop.  And there is d= efinitely a piece of contrasting wood between the two parts of the key.=   Unbelievably, it looks like he put some wood inbetween, making t= he key! longer.<BR><BR>Why?  Why would he do this?  And when = she pointed out to him that it looked terrible, he said he couldn't do = anything about it and left. <BR><BR>Anyway, here are my two options for= remedying this and I'd like to hear pros, cons, or other alternatives.= <BR><BR>#1: This key is a pulley key anyway.  Even when pushed all= the way back, though, it's still 1/16" too long.  So...I could dr= ill out the front rim of the balance rail hole, making the front of the= balance rail hole closer to the front.  Then treat it as a pulley= key; saw a kerf and insert some veneer in the back of the hole, effect= ively moving the balance rail hole forward 1/16" and therefore moving t= he front of the key backward.<BR><BR>However this will also move the ca= pstan, backcheck and keyend felt back 1/16", too.  So, my best opt= ion, I think is:<BR><BR>#2: Get a handsaw, and saw the key in half, som= ewhere other than where the splice is, but in front of the balance rail= h! ole, and then glue the two pieces back together.  If I use a b= ig old lumber saw, I should lose a 1/16" just where the saw ate the woo= d up.   Glue it back together, and it's 1/16" shorter!<BR><BR= >I'm not going to get two chances to fix this.  This key already h= as two splices in it (it has broken twice in two different places).&nbs= p;  It's a dogleg key with a notch cut out of it for the glide bol= t, so structurally it's the weakest key you could imagine.  The pi= ano is a THE HAMILTON grand.  (That's what it says, THE HAMILTON.)= <BR><BR>At this point, it's a matter of pride that I be able to fix thi= s key that two other techs screwed up.  And...I told her in additi= on to my hourly rate, my fee would include knowing who this other techn= ician was.  But only if I were able to fix the key.  If not, = she could tell my name to the guy who did fix it!<BR><BR>I guess a thir= d option would be moving the balance rail pin back 1/16", but that als!= o would move the capstan, etc. back, so I still think the saw is the b= est alternative.<BR><BR>Any thoughts, advice, flames?  <BR><BR>Tom= Sivak<BR>Chicago</FONT><FONT face=Geneva color=#000000 size=2 FA= MILY="SANSSERIF"></FONT> </FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BODY></HT= ML>