[CAUT] more on notching

[Tim Geinert, R.P.T.]

I have been recovering my own keys for upwards of ten years ala instructions 
by Bill Spurlock.

Very recently I had an extended conversation with Bob Marinelli of Pianotek 
about keys.  Since he manufactures keyboards, and because of my own 
experience with keys, I tend to think he gives good advice.
   * Only remove enough material from the top to give a good surface to 
which you can glue.  Do not remove enough to make the key with the new 
keytop the same thickness as it was with an old thin keytop.  Removing too 
much wood makes it impossible to rescue the keys at some time in the future. 
Asked about the old adage that you needed to remove the wood so as to not 
change the geometry, he responded that the new blacks and whites are glued 
to the surface of the new slab of wood on new keyboards, and that rarely do 
the whites and blacks stand at the same height behind the tops anyway.  You 
need to regulate anyway.
    *If you are clamping the sides of the key when milling the surface, 
chances of the top not being parrallel to the bottom of the key is 
good(sides not at right angles to the top and bottom of the key).  When you 
level and square keys like this, the bottom of the key does not come down 
squarely on the punching causing a loss of power.  Since I clamp the sides, 
I am not sure what I am going to do to resolve this, but I'm going to try.
   *Never remove any wood from the end of the key when removing the fronts. 
I used to do it with a Spurlock jig and cut the key to make the length right 
to accommodate the thicker front, but that is wrong.  The importance of the 
dimension from the end of the key to the balance hole cannot be overstated.

Tim G


    ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "llafargue" <llafargue@charter.net>
To: "'College and University Technicians'" <caut@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 8:38 PM
Subject: RE: [CAUT] more on notching


> With increased UPS/fuel costs, I am now investigating doing these
> myself, too.  While you are all on keytops.... How do you remove old
> keytops and plane if needed?  Do most of you still use the rotating
> plane chucked in a drill press or routers?  Randy Potter sells a $300
> jig to plane the tops off, wood, front and top with a router.  Bill
> Spurlock made his own that he sent me pics of.   Thanks very much.
>
> Lance Lafargue, RPT
> LAFARGUE PIANOS
> New Orleans Chapter, PTG
> 985.72P.IANO
> llafargue@charter.net
> www.lafarguepianos.com
>
>
>