balance hole reamer?

[William R. Monroe]

Bill,

I think it was indeed proper nomenclature originally.  The tool Holly was 
speaking of is indeed for removing excess wood.  It is not for enlarging the 
balance rail hole, however, it is for decreasing the thickness of the key 
bottom around the balance rail hole.  Picture a cylinder that is very tall, 
that is the balance rail hole.  This tool shortens that cylinder while 
keeping the diameter the same.  Avoiding the balance rail pin from binding, 
or, running into the sides of the cylinder when the key moves up and down.

Mmmmm, just reread the original post.  I guess I might not be sure which 
tool Holley is speaking of.  I guess we could be talking about either tool 
given the wording of the original post.

Holley, if you are talking about the tool that is like the Yamaha CF tool, 
do NOT get it from Schaff.  I purchased one from them that is absolutely the 
wrong dimensions to do any good.  I know, I know, modify it, but if you 
order it from Pianotek or Yamaha, it works out of the box.

William R. Monroe




Subject: Re: balance hole reamer?


>
>
> On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:52:35 +0000, John Delacour <JD at Pianomaker.co.uk>
> wrote:
>> I can't imagine ever wanting to _ream_ a balance hole.  If I find
>> them too tight I just ease them a little with a smooth awl.  Once you
>> get the slightest movement at the balance it will deteriorate faster
>> and faster, and enlarging the hole by actually removing wood strikes
>> me as a sure way of hastening this process.
>
> An error in nomenclature. Originally sold by Yamaha (prior to 2001) as the
> "CF Tool", it doesn't cut wood, it burnishes (compresses) the wood around
> the BR hole. It's used as a light fix for temporarily swollen BR holes.
>
> Bill Ballard