Et Al; I have a tradition of buying something, at Christmas, for the shop every year that I probably would not buy normally. Well this year I searched for THE item dejure and settled on a 1/2 ton bearing press. :-) Well yes that's right there are no bearings on a piano that can be pressed with a bearing press but there are more uses for this thingee. What I bought it for was to press out old keyweights and to press in new keyweights. It also will do an exemplary job of expanding the weight to stay snug in the hole. I have made several different sized 'tips' to fit on the press drift to match different sized weights. In addition I have made an 'asterick' shaped tip for expanding all size weights. I have used it to refurbish a set of corroding weights and it works verrry well...no more balancing the key while trying to hold punch, key and hammer at the same time...no more trying to use weight extractor thingees that don't quite reach from either side of the key.....no more worry about blind weights, the press punches through the old blind spot. I have made, from scrap pinblock, a series of females forms to fit the various sizes of weights so that with a form in place all that is needed is a quick throw of the press arm and the weight is out, the hole ready for cleaning and or resizing. Pretty neat working thingee...got mine from Grizzly for 29.95 plus shipping. It is kinda rough machining but for what I am using it for it works just fine. Jim Bryant (FL)
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