Pianotech

Hi David,

Call a locksmith. I see there's a little indent in the part of the key that's in the lock. Your local locksmith should be able to open it from that. You may have to show him the key first.

------------------------------
Benjamin Sanchez
Professional Piano Services
(805)315-8050
www.professional-piano-services.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss

Hi David,

You might want to try what I just experimented with.

1. I glued a small magnet to a piano wire.
2. I show how strong the magnet on the wire is. Lee Valley sells them.
    http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,42363,42348&p=59362
3. The magnet should be epoxied to the wire.
4. I insert the wire with magnet into the keyhole. You need a bright light to see where the broken part will be.
5. All you need to do is move the broken part slightly so it can be extracted with the magnet or very small pliers.

Worth a shot I think.

Paul.

------------------------------
Paul Brown, RPT
President
Piano Technicians Guild
Vancouver, BC Canada
Email: pres@ptg.org
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 16:03
From: Benjamin Sanchez
Subject: broken skeleton key

Hi David,

Call a locksmith. I see there's a little indent in the part of the key that's in the lock. Your local locksmith should be able to open it from that. You may have to show him the key first.

------------------------------
Benjamin Sanchez
Professional Piano Services
(805)315-8050
www.professional-piano-services.com

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss

Cannot the lock be unscrewed and removed...albeit with difficulty. 

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 21:10
From: Paul Brown
Subject: broken skeleton key

Hi David,

You might want to try what I just experimented with.

1. I glued a small magnet to a piano wire.
2. I show how strong the magnet on the wire is. Lee Valley sells them.
    http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,42363,42348&p=59362
3. The magnet should be epoxied to the wire.
4. I insert the wire with magnet into the keyhole. You need a bright light to see where the broken part will be.
5. All you need to do is move the broken part slightly so it can be extracted with the magnet or very small pliers.

Worth a shot I think.

Paul.

------------------------------
Paul Brown, RPT
President
Piano Technicians Guild
Vancouver, BC Canada
Email: pres@ptg.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 16:03
From: Benjamin Sanchez
Subject: broken skeleton key

Hi David,

Call a locksmith. I see there's a little indent in the part of the key that's in the lock. Your local locksmith should be able to open it from that. You may have to show him the key first.

------------------------------
Benjamin Sanchez
Professional Piano Services
(805)315-8050
www.professional-piano-services.com

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss

The locks in Yamaha pianos are installed prior to the polyester finish. Yes, you can remove them, but I would not recommend that unless you are also plan on touching up the finish around the lock. It CANNOT be removed without chipping the surrounding finish. (And Yamaha will confirm this.) DAMHIK.

------------------------------
Geoff Sykes, RPT
Los Angeles CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 21:32
From: Peter Grey
Subject: broken skeleton key

Cannot the lock be unscrewed and removed...albeit with difficulty.

Pwg

------------------------------
Peter Grey
Stratham NH
603-686-2395
pianodoctor57@gmail.com

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 21:10
From: Paul Brown
Subject: broken skeleton key

Hi David,

You might want to try what I just experimented with.

1. I glued a small magnet to a piano wire.
2. I show how strong the magnet on the wire is. Lee Valley sells them.
    http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,42363,42348&p=59362
3. The magnet should be epoxied to the wire.
4. I insert the wire with magnet into the keyhole. You need a bright light to see where the broken part will be.
5. All you need to do is move the broken part slightly so it can be extracted with the magnet or very small pliers.

Worth a shot I think.

Paul.

------------------------------
Paul Brown, RPT
President
Piano Technicians Guild
Vancouver, BC Canada
Email: pres@ptg.org

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 16:03
From: Benjamin Sanchez
Subject: broken skeleton key

Hi David,

Call a locksmith. I see there's a little indent in the part of the key that's in the lock. Your local locksmith should be able to open it from that. You may have to show him the key first.

------------------------------
Benjamin Sanchez
Professional Piano Services
(805)315-8050
www.professional-piano-services.com

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss

Thanks for the responses.  Paul, thanks for the great photos.  I emailed the client and gave them the option of either calling a locksmith or having me try with a magnet.

------------------------------
David Weiss
Charlottesville VA
434-823-9733
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss

Follow up.  The client called a locksmith and he extracted the broken part in about 5 minutes.  I wasn't there so I don't know his method.  

Another missed opportunity to be a hero.

I recommended  they have me install a fallboard lock to prevent this from occurring n the future.

------------------------------
David Weiss
Charlottesville VA
434-823-9733
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-13-2019 09:04
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Thanks for the responses.  Paul, thanks for the great photos.  I emailed the client and gave them the option of either calling a locksmith or having me try with a magnet.

------------------------------
David Weiss
Charlottesville VA
434-823-9733

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss

Unless there's something wrong with the lock, the chances of another key breaking are pretty slim. Might be worth putting a few drops of oil in there, on the spanner side too.

------------------------------
Steven Rosenthal
Honolulu HI
808-521-7129
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-14-2019 08:45
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Follow up.  The client called a locksmith and he extracted the broken part in about 5 minutes.  I wasn't there so I don't know his method.

Another missed opportunity to be a hero.

I recommended  they have me install a fallboard lock to prevent this from occurring n the future.

------------------------------
David Weiss
Charlottesville VA
434-823-9733

Original Message:
Sent: 06-13-2019 09:04
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Thanks for the responses.  Paul, thanks for the great photos.  I emailed the client and gave them the option of either calling a locksmith or having me try with a magnet.

------------------------------
David Weiss
Charlottesville VA
434-823-9733

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss

Some type of probe whish has a 90 ° bend at the end and force the broken piece to unlock. Wishful thinking...

------------------------------
Regards,

Jon Page
mailto:jonpage@pianocapecod.com
http://www.pianocapecod.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2019 15:20
From: David Weiss
Subject: broken skeleton key

Here is a situation I could use some help figuring out.

A local hospital has a Yamaha GH1.  When it is not in use, they use the lock on the front of the piano to lock the lid and the fallboard closed. 

The tab on the end of the skeleton key broke off when someone was attempting to unlock the piano.  The tab that broke off is stuck inside the lock and since the piano is locked, it cannot be used.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

The attached photo shows the broken key underneath a non-broken key.

Thanks for your help.

David Weiss