<!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 6.00.2800.1264" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello Tom Sivak</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I, for one, shall be watching your = progress with interest. The "dowel" as you call it is mounted by a screw thread onto a = thick pin which is driven into the top of the key. These (in UK) are called = "Dolly Tops". Beware of adjusting these. Have a soldering iron on, applied to = the pin just below the Dolly. Be sure to use a small self-gripping "mole wrench" = between the point of heating and the key - a heat sink. This is a sure method of = easing solidly rusted joints between metal and wood.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>For replacement ivories I use an impact = adhesive - it doesn't warp the ivory as PVA glue does. (Is this an equivalent to = your CA glue I wonder?) The black coating on the top of the Dolly is Black-Lead. = It is obtainable from most hardware shops or from your piano parts supplier = and is applied as thickly as you can with an artists' paint brush. The solvent = for it to clean the brush is Methylated Spirit.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Over to you - and good luck. This is = just what this post site is for.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Regards</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Michael G = (UK)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>