Pianotech

Older instrument. Not a piano but that's not relevant to my question. What would be the most efficient way to re engineer the pin mortise on this key?
As you can see, the mortise never had bushings and is quite worn. The pins are quite thin, (guessing 2mm), so thinner ones are not really an option. Mortise, as shown, is about 2.5mm x 8mm. So, I would like to expand this mortise, on all the keys of this instrument, so that I can put proper bushings in them. I would also like to do them all uniformly so that I don't have to calculate different felt thicknesses and cauls for every key. Any ideas?



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

Original Message------

Older instrument. Not a piano but that's not relevant to my question. What would be the most efficient way to re engineer the pin mortise on this key?
As you can see, the mortise never had bushings and is quite worn. The pins are quite thin, (guessing 2mm), so thinner ones are not really an option. Mortise, as shown, is about 2.5mm x 8mm. So, I would like to expand this mortise, on all the keys of this instrument, so that I can put proper bushings in them. I would also like to do them all uniformly so that I don't have to calculate different felt thicknesses and cauls for every key. Any ideas?

Thanks --

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

In a harpsichord, clavichord or fortepiano a plain, unbushed mortise is "proper" and a cloth-bushed mortise may be "improper."
Try wetting and resizing this mortise as you would a chucking balance pin hole.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 17:22
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Older instrument. Not a piano but that's not relevant to my question. What would be the most efficient way to re engineer the pin mortise on this key?
As you can see, the mortise never had bushings and is quite worn. The pins are quite thin, (guessing 2mm), so thinner ones are not really an option. Mortise, as shown, is about 2.5mm x 8mm. So, I would like to expand this mortise, on all the keys of this instrument, so that I can put proper bushings in them. I would also like to do them all uniformly so that I don't have to calculate different felt thicknesses and cauls for every key. Any ideas?

Thanks --

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

Ed --

This is in an 1870 Melodeon that I thought was cool and took in trade for some work. I've had the bellows replaced, and everything is more or less in working condition. It just needs stuff like leather seals being replaced and the keys given some attention. This is a personal project that I'm spreading out over way too many years. I've read a couple books on reed organs, and the only one that actually addresses the mortise suggested that in the "good" instruments they were usually bushed, but in the lesser ones they were not as a cost cutting factor. This is, apparently, one of those lesser ones. I was hoping that bushing might be an improvement, but perhaps wetting and resizing is really all that's called for.

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

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 18:40
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: Key pin mortise question

In a harpsichord, clavichord or fortepiano a plain, unbushed mortise is "proper" and a cloth-bushed mortise may be "improper."
Try wetting and resizing this mortise as you would a chucking balance pin hole.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 17:22
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Older instrument. Not a piano but that's not relevant to my question. What would be the most efficient way to re engineer the pin mortise on this key?
As you can see, the mortise never had bushings and is quite worn. The pins are quite thin, (guessing 2mm), so thinner ones are not really an option. Mortise, as shown, is about 2.5mm x 8mm. So, I would like to expand this mortise, on all the keys of this instrument, so that I can put proper bushings in them. I would also like to do them all uniformly so that I don't have to calculate different felt thicknesses and cauls for every key. Any ideas?

Thanks --

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

Geoff, I'm with Ed on this though maybe for a slightly different reason that would come under the category of "no good deed goes unpunished." There could be unintended side effects such as too much resistance from the felt to weakening the keys. I've embarrassed myself more than once by making "improvements".

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

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 19:38
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Ed --

This is in an 1870 Melodeon that I thought was cool and took in trade for some work. I've had the bellows replaced, and everything is more or less in working condition. It just needs stuff like leather seals being replaced and the keys given some attention. This is a personal project that I'm spreading out over way too many years. I've read a couple books on reed organs, and the only one that actually addresses the mortise suggested that in the "good" instruments they were usually bushed, but in the lesser ones they were not as a cost cutting factor. This is, apparently, one of those lesser ones. I was hoping that bushing might be an improvement, but perhaps wetting and resizing is really all that's called for.

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

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 18:40
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: Key pin mortise question

In a harpsichord, clavichord or fortepiano a plain, unbushed mortise is "proper" and a cloth-bushed mortise may be "improper."
Try wetting and resizing this mortise as you would a chucking balance pin hole.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 17:22
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Older instrument. Not a piano but that's not relevant to my question. What would be the most efficient way to re engineer the pin mortise on this key?
As you can see, the mortise never had bushings and is quite worn. The pins are quite thin, (guessing 2mm), so thinner ones are not really an option. Mortise, as shown, is about 2.5mm x 8mm. So, I would like to expand this mortise, on all the keys of this instrument, so that I can put proper bushings in them. I would also like to do them all uniformly so that I don't have to calculate different felt thicknesses and cauls for every key. Any ideas?

Thanks --

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

All good info, here. I'm going to try the water and resizing method first to see if that helps. Thanks, all.

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

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 22:01
From: Steven Rosenthal
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Geoff, I'm with Ed on this though maybe for a slightly different reason that would come under the category of "no good deed goes unpunished." There could be unintended side effects such as too much resistance from the felt to weakening the keys. I've embarrassed myself more than once by making "improvements".

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

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 19:38
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Ed --

This is in an 1870 Melodeon that I thought was cool and took in trade for some work. I've had the bellows replaced, and everything is more or less in working condition. It just needs stuff like leather seals being replaced and the keys given some attention. This is a personal project that I'm spreading out over way too many years. I've read a couple books on reed organs, and the only one that actually addresses the mortise suggested that in the "good" instruments they were usually bushed, but in the lesser ones they were not as a cost cutting factor. This is, apparently, one of those lesser ones. I was hoping that bushing might be an improvement, but perhaps wetting and resizing is really all that's called for.

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

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 18:40
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: Key pin mortise question

In a harpsichord, clavichord or fortepiano a plain, unbushed mortise is "proper" and a cloth-bushed mortise may be "improper."
Try wetting and resizing this mortise as you would a chucking balance pin hole.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 17:22
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Older instrument. Not a piano but that's not relevant to my question. What would be the most efficient way to re engineer the pin mortise on this key?
As you can see, the mortise never had bushings and is quite worn. The pins are quite thin, (guessing 2mm), so thinner ones are not really an option. Mortise, as shown, is about 2.5mm x 8mm. So, I would like to expand this mortise, on all the keys of this instrument, so that I can put proper bushings in them. I would also like to do them all uniformly so that I don't have to calculate different felt thicknesses and cauls for every key. Any ideas?

Thanks --

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

Bill Spurlock offered cauls for his two-step key bushing method, and the smallest size was for pianos with very tiny balance rail pins.

If you could size the mortises you are cutting to the appropriate width, and get the thin cauls (perhaps they are still carried by Pianotek?) that might give you a uniform situation for bushing without ending up having to use thick cloth which might lead to too much side motion.

------------------------------
Susan Kline
Philomath, Oregon
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-14-2019 17:22
From: Geoff Sykes
Subject: Key pin mortise question

Older instrument. Not a piano but that's not relevant to my question. What would be the most efficient way to re engineer the pin mortise on this key?
As you can see, the mortise never had bushings and is quite worn. The pins are quite thin, (guessing 2mm), so thinner ones are not really an option. Mortise, as shown, is about 2.5mm x 8mm. So, I would like to expand this mortise, on all the keys of this instrument, so that I can put proper bushings in them. I would also like to do them all uniformly so that I don't have to calculate different felt thicknesses and cauls for every key. Any ideas?

Thanks --

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

Original Message------

Bill Spurlock offered cauls for his two-step key bushing method, and the smallest size was for pianos with very tiny balance rail pins.

If you could size the mortises you are cutting to the appropriate width, and get the thin cauls (perhaps they are still carried by Pianotek?) that might give you a uniform situation for bushing without ending up having to use thick cloth which might lead to too much side motion.

------------------------------
Susan Kline
Philomath, Oregon
------------------------------