<HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY style="BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER= -LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none"> I think I would saw a kerf at an angle...|/| bi-secting the spli= ce repair and hopefull getting rid of some of it?  Can you ju= st cut out the repair's extra wood?  Remember to place the ke= y on a flat surface when gluing it and use the neighboring keys as= clamps (wax paper between) and also to get the correct length mat= ched up. Wish we all carried digital cameras for these kind of things. &= nbsp; I'm looking to get a cheap one...any advice on strictly business = camera I can carry in my kit. David I. <DIV style="PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5p= x; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 3px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px"> <HR> Original message From: Tvak@aol.com To: pianotech@ptg.org Rece= ived: 9/28/2005 12:32:47 PM Subject: key broken by two techs = List Got a call from a lady wh= o said, 'her key was broken'.   Skeptical, I asked her about = it, and she says that two technicians have tried to fix this key and no= w it's worse than ever.  So, intrigued, I made an appointment to g= o look at it. Turns out the key itself did break and the previou= s technician spliced it back together with splints on each side.  = Looked well done.  Things is...it looks like he ADDED a bit of woo= d between the two pieces of the key and now the key is too long.  = It sticks out 1/16" past the others in front.  I looked at it from= every which angle and it is definitely too long between the balance ra= il pin and the front of the keytop.  And there is definitely a pie= ce of contrasting wood between the two parts of the key.  Unbeliev= ably, it looks like he put some wood inbetween, making the key longer.<= 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 i= t and left. Anyway, here are my two options for remedying this = and I'd like to hear pros, cons, or other alternatives. #1: This= key is a pulley key anyway.  Even when pushed all the way back, t= hough, it's still 1/16" too long.  So...I could drill out the fron= t rim of the balance rail hole, making the front of the balance rail ho= le closer to the front.  Then treat it as a pulley key; saw a kerf= and insert some veneer in the back of the hole, effectively moving the= balance rail hole forward 1/16" and therefore moving the front of the = key backward. However this will also move the capstan, backcheck= and keyend felt back 1/16", too.  So, my best option, I think is:= #2: Get a handsaw, and saw the key in half, somewhere other tha= n where the splice is, but in front of the balance rail hole, and then = glue the two pieces back together.  If I use a big old lumber saw,= I should lose a 1/16" just where the saw ate the wood up.   = Glue it back together, and it's 1/16" shorter! I'm not going to = get two chances to fix this.  This key already has two splices in = it (it has broken twice in two different places).   It's a do= gleg key with a notch cut out of it for the glide bolt, so structurally= it's the weakest key you could imagine.  The piano is a THE HAMIL= TON grand.  (That's what it says, THE HAMILTON.) At this po= int, it's a matter of pride that I be able to fix this key that two oth= er techs screwed up.  And...I told her in addition to my hourly ra= te, my fee would include knowing who this other technician was.  B= ut only if I were able to fix the key.  If not, she could tell my = name to the guy who did fix it! I guess a third option would be = moving the balance rail pin back 1/16", but that also would move the ca= pstan, etc. back, so I still think the saw is the best alternative. = Any thoughts, advice, flames?  Tom Sivak Chicago</F= ONT><= /FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>