[CAUT] S&S Key Bushings

[Mark Dierauf]

Fred -

While you have your pipe cleaner and teflon powder out, hit the BR holes 
as well. I follow that up with the balance hole easing tool inserted 
from the bottom side without any more pressure than the weight of the 
tool itself...just a couple of turns to burnish in the teflon powder. It 
definitely seems to free up slightly sluggish BR holes without removing 
or crushing any wood.

- Mark Dierauf

Fred Sturm wrote:
> <div class="moz-text-flowed" style="font-family: -moz-fixed">On Oct 
> 30, 2008, at 1:23 PM, Jim Busby wrote:
>
>> Thanks Fred,
>>
>> I forgot about the Teflon in the bushings. Do you do that very last?
>>
>> Jim
>
>
>     When I put in new bushings, I apply the teflon before I glue in 
> the felt. WIth a brand new piano, I put teflon in with a pipecleaner, 
> then follow with heat. Reason? The pipecleaner "fuzzes up" the felt so 
> it needs to be ironed down again. With the new piano, the bushing has 
> never been ironed and probably needs some sizing, as well as lubing 
> and ironing, so this is just a standard, assembly line process. The 
> way I use the heated cauls, I don't find any affect on the teflon powder.
>     At this point, I haven't done any steam sizing of bushings that 
> weren't already tefloned for quite a while. But I think I would steam, 
> then do a first, quick ironing, then apply teflon, then a final ironing.
>     Chris says with the VS you don't need the additional lube. I guess 
> I'll see, but my take is that what is described as being in the VS (1% 
> silicone) is probably a lot less lubrication than a fairly think 
> application of teflon powder on the felt, and a coating of McLube on 
> the pin. (Why McLube on the pin? In my experience it sticks on metal 
> much better than ProLube, and it seems to be the slipperiest substance 
> I have come across. Granted it's killing brain cells, or the solvent 
> part of it is. But who needs those? <G>).
>
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
> fssturm at unm.edu
>
>
>
> </div>
>