Wooden sticker "buttons"

[harvey]

Clyde, I suspect that the words "Winter" and "help" in the same sentence
won't cause suppliers any loss of sleep -- or generate any compassion.

Plan B -- What I have done when faced with the same situation:
1. The stuff that's reportedly so bad for pinblocks ("pinblock restorer" in
the generic sense), seems to work effectively in this application. You
still have other options if it doesn't, and haven't burned any bridges;
2. Rolling your own is not out of the question. It's common dowel stock
with a "customized" balance rail punching glued on. This job doesn't
require a lathe -- a drill press or bench mounted drill motor, along with a
hand saw and files/rasps is enough to turn one or fifteen. For more
difficult but -better- replacements, substitute drumsticks for the
material... although I can't imagine you'd want to for a Winter;
3. No experience, no comment with CA glue (thrown in for good measure);
4. From an old post that just turned up today during housecleaning...
[begin quote] "acetic acid available at photo shops (28%) is great for
swelling wood 
joints like dowels into holes - works every time for loose hammerheads.  I
think it would be worth painting some of those loose underlever leads with
some.  You'd know in 5 mins. -- Ben Treuhaft, Underwater PIano Shop" [end
quote]
(ditto -- no experience, no comment on the glacial acetic acid. Might turn
ugly with wood to metal. Might turn ugly either way!)


At 08:11 PM 3/31/99 -0500, you wrote:
>I hope someone can help me find these for a 1974 Winter spinet.  I need
>at least a dozen of what I am calling sticker wire buttons to replace
>some that are stripped out. There is no rubber or plastic; these are
>made of wood, about 11/16" long.  The top 5/16" is wider than the rest,
>and there is a small white felt punching glued to the bottom.  Each one
>fits down into a hole at the end of the key, which of course also has a
>slot to get the sticker wire through.
[cut]

Jim Harvey, RPT
Greenwood, SC
harvey@greenwood.net