Rubber grommets or fix, please

[Jim_Harvey@yca.ccmail.compuserve.com]

     Howdy,

     Bob Simmons mentioned rubber grommets as part of his 'hammer springs
     revisited' post. Speaking of rubber grommets...

     Does anyone know of a source for the type of rubber grommets that have
     threaded square nuts buried inside? These are a line item only
     (unpictured) with APSCO, but they don't have 'em, and my last Schaff
     catalog is from 1984.

     Failing this, has anyone come up with a _good_ alternative fix for
     these time and smog-attacked grommets? (I've seen the kludged field
     repairs, and don't like them). What about modifying the closest
     equivalent part: a wooden drop-lifter button.

     I'm thinking along the lines of making a circular cut around the
     wooden button, deep enough and spaced to fit the pickup tongue on the
     end of the key. Maybe even adding some... what, silicone caulking to
     the new incision and allowing it to dry prior to installation. It may
     still lack the necesssary flexibility, and/or be noisy in operation.
     Would this work? If so, anyone could hammer out bunches of these in
     relatively short order, and not worry about future detioration
     characteristics. (If we're lucky, the modification will outlast the
     pianos they go into).

     Jim Harvey, RPT