(I thought I sent this, but it is still listed in my outgoing mail box. Sorry if it is a repeat) I am working on an Estey Console. I replaced the wippens with the closest wippen I could find in the supply catalog. The original wippens had a cushion on the bottom almost like a Steinway Upright. The replacement is smaller by about 1/4". The piano also has dowel capstans longer then replacements I've found in catalogs. They are also splitting when any adjustments are made. So here are my questions: 1.) I plan to make my own replacement dowel capstans, but is there a tool that is used to uniformly round and smooth the tops like the originals? How did they do it in the factory? 2.) I assume that I'll be using the new wips I have on hand. (I can't justify the cost of custom made parts, and I'm not sure about replacing the cushions.) So...am I setting myself up for big geometry problems if I make longer dowel capstans to compensate for the smaller wippens? One thought I had was that I could bend the capstan wires back to put the contact point between the wip and dowel more in line with the balance rail and wip flange center. I welcome any suggestions. Gordon Large Mt. Vernon, Maine
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