-----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Don Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 2:51 PM To: PTG Subject: warped ebony sharps Hi, I've come across something new to me. A small Bell piano (Lesage) where the ebony sharps are warping and breaking the glue joints. I'd appreciate any advise on regluing. Should I trim everything down so the surfaces are flat? The key tops are flat but the ebony bottom surface is not. Regards, Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T. 3004 Grant Rd, Regina, SK, S4S 5G7 Tuner for the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts I've seen warped ebony sharps...in a box, not on a piano. No one could explain the warping, so I did some checking: Ebony is a very difficult wood to season, with waste running as high as 50% It is prone to checking and warping The fewer the yellow streaks in the stock, the better the quality. Ebony tends to be a reaction wood. (Most of this information was from the U.S Forestry Service about 30 yrs ago.) I'm not sure how the piano industry made so many good sharps from this wood. In short, replace the set if that's feasible. Gluing the originals back to the key blank only invites the warping. Paul C
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