making key bushing cauls

[David Ilvedson]

All you need is a little tension on the bushing cloth strip.   If it can't move when you put in the caul it won't go down into the mortice.  
Certainly, as with all piano work, it takes a little practice.   



----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Greg Newell <gnewell@ameritech.net>
To: Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
Received: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 16:19:54 -0500
Subject: RE: making key bushing cauls


>Ron,
>         I use the Bushmaster system and find it to be, as you've said, an 
>incredible waste of bushing cloth (much more that 3 times). I suspect that 
>the Spurlock caul users are taught to use the same method I did before the 
>Bushmaster. I used to lay the cloth over the mortise and when it touched 
>the top of the opposite side of the mortise it was the correct length. The 
>problem I always had with that was holding both ends of cloth immobile 
>while pushing in the cloth which invariably tried to drag the cloth with it 
>into the hole. I like the speed of the Bushmaster but really hate the waste.

>Greg Newell





>At 12:49 PM 11/15/2004, you wrote:

>>>I'd like to see a side-by-side trial of the "Bushmaster" method and the
>>>Spurlock system. I use the Spurlock system and love it, but I have never
>>>tried the other. Anyone used both? Opinions? I recall can't imagine anything
>>>slicker than the Spurlock system.
>>>
>>>Terry Farrell
>>>
>>>I've used both and have come up with a hybrid system: I use the Spurlock
>>>system with hot hide glue, but with brass cauls.  The thickest brass caul is
>>>used to hold the first bushing in place, the required size is used for the
>>>other side.  Then I place a clothes iron (set on cotton) on top of the final
>>>cauls.  This reactivates the hide glue, sizes the bushing hole in the key
>>>and sets the cloth bushing to the caul.  Let stand over night. The key hole
>>>sizing step is eliminated, as well as any easing.  Steaming the old bushings
>>>out will also size the balance rail.
>>>
>>>Paul C
>>
>>In the late 70's, I made a tool that works somewhat like the Bushmaster, 
>>copied from an existing tool someone had that originally came from who 
>>knows where. Both of these tools lacked a means of indexing the depth of 
>>the cloth, so my copy didn't work too well. For years, I used hide glue, 
>>cauls, and two pieces of appropriate thickness cloth, inserted into the 
>>mortise, caul inserted, and trimmed flush with the caul with a knife. This 
>>worked, ok, with near zero waste of bushing cloth, but was hard to gage 
>>the depth of the bushing in the mortise. Lately, I've used my old homemade 
>>tool, re-modified with ears to index the cloth to proper depth (like the 
>>Bushmaster). It's quick and wastes three times as much bushing cloth as is 
>>glued in the keys. Unnecessary waste offends me, but the uniformity of the 
>>job is just what I was after, so that's where I currently am.
>>
>>I suppose if I did key bushings on a weekly basis I might be doing it 
>>differently, since it always seems to take me half a set to get 
>>comfortable with it and in rhythm, this is easy and mindless enough a 
>>system for me to run it. When I get tired of looking at my funky little 
>>tool, or it finally falls apart and dies, I'll probably buy a Bushmaster.
>>
>>So how do you Spurlock method bushers index cloth depth, and are you happy 
>>with the result?
>>
>>Ron N
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives

>Greg Newell
>Greg's piano Forté
>mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net 

>_______________________________________________
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