Trimming Key End Felt

[David Love]

A Japanese felt knife works the best in just the manner you describe.
It can be made very sharp.  I usually change key end felt when I have
the keys clamped together in key clamps for bushings.  Work in small
sections of keys so that you can press the ends together so that there
is little or no space between each key.  Glue down the felt in a strip
across several keys and when the glue dries remove the clamps and spread
the keys just slightly but pushing the back checks gently apart so that
you can get a felt knife between and slice them flush to the edges of
the keys.     

David Love
davidlovepianos@comcast.net 

-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] On
Behalf Of Pianotech
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 6:49 PM
To: Pianotech
Subject: Trimming Key End Felt

Hello all,

As I've just finished up trimming the key end felts in a new S&S (they
were
rubbing on the under-levers, causing the keys to not return), I'm
wondering
if any of you have a super-slick method for doing this, whether mopping
up,
or just having replaced the end-felts yourself.

I just did it using a VERY sharp 1" chisel.  I turned the key over on
the
edge of the bench so that only the underfelt is resting on the bench,
press
down a bit to make the felt a little more firm, and then slice the
offending
material off.  It worked, OK, but not great.  Any ideas for something
better?

Many thanks,
William R. Monroe
Madison, WI
Assoc.


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