GRAND REGULATION - part III

In this third part of our grand regulation guide, we will continue with discussing the Section II, The Top Action. Remember that action centres were discussed last week, so now we will begin by talking about hammer traveling, which is Point 16 on the 50-point checklist. 
 

Point one on the checklist was tightening all of the screws. Now if all of the foreign material was cleaned out from under the flanges, usually by using compressed air, we are now ready to travel the hammers. What we are looking for is a hammer that swings to one side as it is raised from the rest position to normal striking height.

I find it best to use a long rod such as an old pedal rod in traveling a whole section of hammers at one time. Insert the rod under the hammershanks near the hammer, at about the rest felt/rest rail area. Hopefully the rod is long enough so the ends will protrude over into the next section of hammers. If not, make sure the rod rests on at least one shank at each end so as to be level.

If any hammers are badly angled (Point 17), I find it easier to correct these first before traveling. On the other hand, if the hammers are traveling way out of alignment, then it might be easier to travel first, angle later. Anyway, keep in mind that a travelled hammer must be angled in order to keep the striking surface square to the string, assuming that the striking surface was square in the first place. 

To find hammers that need traveling, lift the rod up and down approximating the hammer-to to string distance and watch for hammers moving towards their neighbours. All hammers should lift vertically, with no sign of movement to the right or left. If necessary, use a square or a board with vertical lines drawn on it as a guide to make sure the hammers all lift perfectly straight. Without the use of a guide it is possible to travel all of the hammers, but end up with them all moving slightly to the right or left. Any horizontal movement will result in a loss of power, abnormal wear on the hammer and its bushing, and voicing problems. Do not bother to travel the hammers any higher than a few inches, since they do not function any higher in the piano.

Any shanks which are moving to the right or left are corrected by placing a thin shim under the flange so the shank will travel vertically. The rule is to place the shim on the side of the flange toward which the hammer is traveling. In other words, if the hammer is moving to the right, place a shim under the right side of the flange. I prefer to take the flange off completely and place a gummed piece of paper such as packing tape or a strip of masking tape as a shim. This works better than just a piece of newspaper so often seen here, since they stay with the flange whenever it is removed in the future.

Also, in taking the flange off to shim it, I always check it to see if some foreign material is causing the hammer not to travel correctly. If more than two shims are necessary, filing the flange on the opposite side is preferred to installing many shims. In really bad cases, rebush the centre.

Since shimming the flange actually tilted the hammer, now we need to go back and correct the hammer angle. In case you do not know what I mean by hammer angle, it is correcting those hammers which are leaning to the right or left. Do not confuse this with the angles which the hammers are glued on to so that they are aligned to the string angles. This is in a different plane. The angles we are talking about are caused by the shank warping or by shimming the flange to correctly travel the hammer. To correct the hammer angle, take a heat gun or an alcohol lamp and heat the shank by quickly passing the heat up and down the length of the shank.

At the same time, apply a tilting pressure to the hammer head in the direction it needs to go to correct the angle. You will feel the shank twisting when it gets hot enough. Don’t burn the shank! Keep in mind that some pianos are designed for the hammers to be slightly angled a couple of degrees in certain sections, usually the tenor or bass. Note that if the same rod is used here in angling that was used in traveling, the hammers will all be uniform in height (remember that we have not got to regulation yet) and therefore easier to spot those which are misangled. Do not lightly pass over these two procedures, as they really make a difference when it comes time to voice the piano. 

Next on the checklist is Point 18, reshaping the hammers. At some time in the future, we will discuss when to tell if the hammer has enough life left in it to reshape it or if it needs to be replaced. As this post is based mostly on reshaping in the shop, we will also discuss in the future how to reshape in the home. Remember that a well-shaped hammer not only sounds better, eliminates a lot of needless voicing and wears longer, but also makes more money and a better reputation for you. Note that after traveling and angling, the hammerstriking surface must always be filled to square it to the string. 

Regraphiting the jack top and balancier window is Point 19 on the checklist. The easiest way to do this is to brush on Dag 154. Keep in mind what we are doing here. Generally speaking, the less friction there is between the moving parts of the-action, the better it works. Recently for this reason, many pianos manufactured today use teflon (often coloured blue or green) at such friction places as the top of the jack and balancier. Teflon as used here is definitely superior to graphite. The knuckle never gets coated with teflon which has rubbed off like the graphite does. A knuckle should be clean and smooth to function at its best. If dirty with graphite, clean it! For this reason, after applying the Dag 154, take an old treble hammer and rub these surfaces, or burnish as it is correctly called. This helps in making the surfaces even slicker by polishing and takes off any excess graphite which otherwise would have worn off onto the knuckle. 

Point 20 is spacing the jack in the balancier window. Remember to check and make sure the jack works freely after spacing it. Do not space Steinway teflon bushing jacks in this manner. Hammering on a teflon bushing will ruin it. Remove the centre pin and put a slight bend in it, then reinstall the centre pin. 

Next, we go on to repairing the knuckles, Point 21. Good quality knuckles have been hard to find. Manufacturers have been able to get a better quality buckskin. But only in the past couple of decades have really high quality knuckles become available.

As a technician, you have to decide whether to use the old knuckles which the piano has or to install new ones. If the knuckles are of good quality and are just a little worn and slightly out of round, then it is acceptable to restore them.

If the knuckles are of poor quality (some of late are not even buckskin but rather cowhide), or if they are very grooved or flat, replace them. For the benefit of those technicians who work on Steinways, felt bushing shanks and flanges have now become available which are of the finest quality. Slightly flattened knuckles can easily be made round again. Purchase some good quality wool yarn (not synthetic) and a large needle with an eye large enough to hold a strand of yarn. Pass the needle with a few strands of yarn into the knuckle, at the point where the knuckle rests on the balancier. The new yarn goes between the leather and the knuckle core. The fibers of the yarn will intertwine with the core and become permanent. Cut off any excess yarn from the sides of the knuckle and you are in business. As a final check, squeeze the buckskin of the knuckle and look for any slack. The leather should be nice and firm, with no visible play.

If the knuckle is a little grooved, I like to file this groove away and make the surface smooth again. In later regulation, the whippen will have to be aligned to the knuckle. If this groove exists, any alignment of the whippen will result in the jack hitting upon a new part of the knuckle. The jack height will then vary as the jack makes a new groove, and repetition problems will result, if it no longer has the tolerance it needs. 

Sometimes we find a hard knuckle. Usually this is from glue getting on the leather when the knuckle was made. The buckskin should only be glued at the very ends the working part being free against the core to flex. To eliminate a noisy knuckle, prick the leather with your voicing tool. If this does not work, replace the knuckle. When replacement is in order, be sure to glue it in proper alignment. Nowadays, knuckles are often seen which vary in their alignment. The core should be at a 90” angle to the shank, but I have seen many where the rosewood was so far bent out of shape that the knuckles were 1/16” off from the neighbouring knuckles! Combine this with cowhide being used instead of buckskin and you have a piano that not only plays unevenly, but cannot repeat since the jack hangs up on the rough fibres of the cowhide. The only remedy here is to replace the knuckles with ones which have good buckskin and to properly align them. The same goes for the felt knuckles which Steinway used for a while. Next week, we will continue with Point 22.   

GRAND REGULATION - part II

Having discussed section I, The Keys & Keyframe, last month, we will continue with section II, The Top Action. Note that those procedures covered recently elsewhere such as rebushing, steaming warped keys, repairing the balance pin hole, etc., will be skipped over in this guide to regulation.

Also, some procedures were skipped over which were not covered elsewhere, such as refelting the keyframe. These I intend to discuss at a later date. If any reader feels I have neglected or passed by a subject, please let me know.

II. THE TOP ACTION (off the keyframe)

15) Check action centres, repin or shrink as needed. There are many tests which can be used to determine if the action centres are too tight or loose. Lets discuss the hammershank / flange centre first, since it’s by far the most important and the most troublesome. I will list the six checks I regularly use for this centre:

A)   Wiggle each hammer gently side to side and feel by hand if the centre feels loose.

B)   Similarly, insert a long screwdriver blade under the shanks and wiggle the blade from side to side. Watch the hammer for any sign of lateral movement. Any movement indicates a loose centre.

C)   While the screwdriver blade is still under the shanks, lift all of the hammers in a section up and quickly release the blade downwards. Any sluggish centres will be late in following the blade down.

D)   With the screwdriver still under the shanks, block the blade up at both ends so the shanks rest on the blade, preferably right on top of the rest felts/rest rail area. Individually raise the hammer and let it fall on the screwdriver blade. Listen closely to the sound upon impact, and watch how much bounce the hammer takes. Too little bounce indicates a tight centre. A noisy impact of the shank upon the blade indicates a too loose centre. This noise is much like striking a baseball bat upon the concrete and listening for a crack in the wood.

E)   With the action firmly in hand (preferably screwed down to the keyframe) put the action on one end and swing the hammers out away from their rest position and back. Any sluggish centres will be noticeable by the lack of movement.

F)   And, of course, the best method is to unscrew the flange and check the swing of the hammer by hand. Take the flange in one hand and hold it vertical, the hammer being taken by the other hand and raised to a horizontal position, 90” from the flange. Holding the flange very still, release the hammer and watch how many times it swings under the flange. This will look much like a pendulum. Count the number of passes the hammer makes under the flange. For this centre, seven or eight passes is considered excellent. If the piano is a Steinway with teflon bushings, then the best results are at five or six passes. Fewer passes indicate a sluggish centre or a bent centre pin. Greater than eight passes indicates a loose centre or some other problem such as a crack in the shank at the bushing area.

Unscrewing all 88 hammers may seem like a lot of work, but it is the only way to know for sure how every centre is working. If the piano is used for concerts, then plan on taking every hammer off and checking the centres from time to time. This can mean the difference between the artist praising you and the piano for an even and responsive action, or criticism for a piano that has a heavy touch, was uneven, or would not repeat.

This is not as much work as it sounds. Just make sure the hammers are all properly spaced to the strings before you begin, and the whippens and backchecks are aligned to the hammershanks and tails. Take off all of the odd numbered hammers and work on them. Replace them and realign them using the neighbouring hammers and the previously aligned whippens and backchecks. Go on to the even numbered hammers and complete the job in the same manner. Recheck the hammer to string alignment and you are done.

Now let’s talk about repinning action centres.

I highly recommend using a pin vise which is capable of extracting and installing centre pins. If you work on Steinway teflon bushings very much you will notice the extractor pin is a little large and often ruins the teflon bushing while .removing the old pin. Just remove the extractor pin and turn it down, using a drill and wet/dry sandpaper.

While we are discussing Steinways, be sure to purchase from the factory the set off our reamers. These can be used with equal success on regular felt bushings. Remember Steinway uses a rolled pin slightly rounded on each end. Oversized rolled pins can be purchased from the factory. Also available from the factory is a kit with both sizes of teflon bushings and oversized centre pins. Regardless of what can be said pro or con about their new bushings, their rolled pin remains superior, I use this pin in regular felted bushings as well as in Steinway centres.

Think for a minute about what happens when we use a regular centre pin. In the process of cutting off the excess pin, the pliers squeeze and make the pin oblong at the end.

Depending upon how sharp your pliers are, you also leave a burr, either large or small. Some technicians file down this end of the pin to correct the burr and oblong end. Great, but this still can leave the edge of the pin sharp enough to eventually cut into the felt bushing. This filing also takes time. If it only takes an extra 20 seconds, this means an extra half hour to repin and file a complete set.

Other technicians cut the pin off a little ways away from the side of the shank, so that the burr does not have contact with the bushing. This looks tacky and can result in the pins touching each other, making it hard to align the flanges. For what little more the Steinway rolled pins cost, I always use them to save time and to eliminate any chance of ruining the bushing. It also keeps the job looking neat by not having the centre pins sticking out from the bushings.

To conclude our discussion on action centres, let’s compare repinning versus using solutions or the “zapper.” If a centre is loose, we have no choice but to repin, unless we want to take the time to rebush the shank. If the centre is sluggish we can: 1) remove the pin, ream the bushing to the proper tolerance, and install a new pin; 2) apply a lubricant to make the centre “work easier” (the only two I know of as being the correct lubs for the job are an 8:1 solution of naptha / mineral oil and an 8:1 solution of naptha / silicone as sold by the Wurlitzer people); 3) apply an action shrinking solution such as water / alcohol or the solution as outlined in the Baldwin service manual; or 4) use electricity to heat the centre pin, causing it to dissipate moisture from the bushing and causing the fibers around the pin to be “ironed,” better known as “zapping the pin.”

Of these four methods, only the reaming and the “zapper” are instant in their results. Applying solutions can mean awaiting time of up to 24 hours, depending upon the solution used. None of the other three methods has been shown to be as long lasting as reaming.

If the centre to be treated is actually frozen, meaning the hammer swings two arcs or less with the pendulum test, the only permanent solution is to ream the bushing. Using the zapper on a frozen centre usually results in cooking the birds-eye hole in the flange. Using a shrinking solution on frozen centres is always time consuming and rarely permanent. Lubricating a frozen centre is a complete waste.

For sluggish centres - that is, ones which swing three to six times - it is dealer’s choice which of the four to use. Just try to pick the best method considering time, season of the year, cost to the consumer, and previous knowledge of how the methods work in your climate. If undecided, ream, for that is the most permanent.

When repairing action centres other than the hammershank / flange, remember all of the other centres are supposed to be more loose than the hammershank. Going in descending order of tightness: hammershank, whippen, balancier, under lever flange, jack, underlever top flange, and sostenuto tab. In recommending a good test for these other action centres, I would begin by saying, let well enough alone if nothing seems wrong. Obviously, if a centre pin has worked itself out and is causing a loose flange, repair it. Or, if encountering repetition problems, it looks like a certain action centre is sluggish and thereby causing slow repetition, remove the offending part and repair as needed.

As far as useful tests, a sluggish jack can easily be tested by lifting up all of the hammers and looking at the top of the jacks. A sluggish jack can be spotted by finding a jack which has not returned to its rest position, and so is out of line with the other jacks. The sluggish whippen, balancier, and damper centres are a little harder to test. Try moving the part with a finger or screwdriver and check for undue resistance. Just remember each time a centre pin is removed from the birds-eye, the hole is enlarged a little and the same size pin reinstalled will not be as tight as the original. So do not extract a centre pin unless it needs to be.

Now that we have spent this whole article on action centres, the remaining procedures of section II, The Top Action, will be discussed in the next post. If nothing else is remembered about action centres, make sure the centre pin is tight in the flange. The pin rotates freely in the bushing, not in the birds-eye.

GRAND REGULATION - part I

In the last post, we discussed a 50-point checklist to be used in regulating grands. Last month we printed a grand regulation chart which shows how each of the nine regulation steps directly affect the others. Now in combining these two concepts, we will go through each of the 50 points in the checklist and explain in detail to how perform each step.

I. KEYS & KEYFRAME

1) TIGHTEN ALL SCREWS, REMOVE ACTION AND KEYS

Before anything else is done to piano, all of the screws should be tightened. This includes the screws, case parts, action parts, lyre and damper assembly parts. This is to insure that everything that should be snug and tight is, eliminating any noises or excess wear which could crop up from loose fittings. It also insures all of the moving parts are in correct relationship to each other. When tightening down the plate use a large screwdriver has had the tip ground to fit the plate screw heads. The whole blade should fit the screw head, not just the corners of the blade. I use a Sears 3/8” Craftsman which has a square shank, enabling me use a crescent wrench on the shank to help turn the screw. If this method is used, be sure to put your weight on the screwdriver to keep from ruining the head of the screw. Do not turn plate screws more than ½ turn at a time, and skip every other screw. Otherwise, it is very easy to flex the plate running the risk of possible plate breakage. Do not attempt to change the nose bolts unless something is obviously wrong, such as the bolt coming loose in the beams under the soundboard. Nose bolts are not to be tightened to achieve more downbearing. Tighten all action and case part screws hand tight. Overtightening will only crush the wood or else result in a stripped screw hole. On aluminium action rails, if the hole is stripped, a larger, self-tapping screw will solve the problem. Do use common sense and refrain from tightening screws which are adjustments to action mechanisms. These include the drop, let-off, jack regulating screw, jack stop rail, repetition lever and spring screws, cheekblock adjusting screws, etc. 

To tighten the action screws, the action must be removed from inside the piano. Take care not to depress any of the keys when pulling the action out, or a broken hammer shank will result. Place a hand on each end of the keyframe and pull the action out slowly. Now remove the action bracket screws which hold the stack into the keyframe. Some actions have the front screws (nearest the keyboard) slanted at an angle. These are removed first and installed last. Make sure you have some method for returning the action screws back into their original holes. Set the stack aside and remove all 88 keys. To keep from enlarging the balance pin hole on the bottom of the key, take hold of the key at the back as well as the front and lift off evenly.

2) SAND KEYBED, APPLY TALC OR SLIPSPRAY

The ideal match between the keybed and the keyframe is for both to be perfectly straight and level. Otherwise, when the keyframe shifts, high and low spots are sure to occur, resulting in noises. Therefore, sand lightly the keybed to give it a level, smooth surface upon which the keyframe can slide. Also, apply talc, slipspray, or some other substance to help the keyframe shift quickly back and forth. A straightedge may be helpful in finding high/low places.

3) SEAT ACTION ON KEYFRAME, REPAIR STRIPPED SCREW HOLES

Seating an action frame is an often overlooked procedure. The keyframe should be straight and flat on its underside to match the keybed. If the action brackets have any amount of space between the bottom of the bracket and the top of the screw hole on the keyframe, a warped keyframe will result when the brackets are screwed down tight. Of course, if any holes are stripped, drill-plug and redrill. Cross-threading the screw holes can be eliminated by starting the screws by hand or by turning the screws backward until it drops into the threads.

4) BED KEYFRAME: BACKRAIL, FRONTRAIL, STUDS; SAND AS NECESSARY

 Now that the stack is on the keyframe without the keys, back up the balance rail bedding screws (make sure you get the ones only visible from underneath on Yamahas) and install the action into the keybed, securing the cheekblocks. The cheekblocks should apply a small amount of pressure to the keyframe to keep it down, but not so much as to cause it to raise in the middle. A perfect fit is when the shift pedal works freely with the keyframe secured on the key keybed. Bed the backrail first, then the front rail, lastly the balancerail studs. The correct specification here is to not have any spaces between any of the three rails at their point of contact with the keybed, both in the regular and in the shift positions. When bedding the front or backrail, tap on the rail and listen for knocking noises. Mark offending areas with chalk. If the knock is at the ends of the front rail, the cheekblocks were not fitted correctly. If the knocks are at the middle of the front rail, try to loosen the cheekblocks to see if they were too tight. If not, then lift the front or backrail up enough to places and paper strips grit side up under the contact points on each side of the chalk marks. Draw the sandpaper out and recheck the area for knocks. Remember that the area to be sanded is not where the chalk marks are, as these are the high places, but rather the low places surrounding the chalk marks. Go slow in the sanding process so as not to sand the keyframe too much, producing more high places. On a badly warped keyframe, one might have to cut out strips on the top of the frame and hammer in hardwood wedges in order to straighten it out (front or back rail only). 

Bedding the balance rail can be done by either of two methods. The short method is to take a straightedge over the entire length of the keyframe, spanning the front and back rails over where a stud exists. Turn the stud down until it just touches the straightedge. At this point, the three rails are in a straight line. Do this to every stud, and if the keybed is perfectly flat (which it isn’t) then the keyframe should fit. But since the keybed is not perfect, correct any small differences by installing the keyframe complete with keys and stack into the piano, securing the cheekblocks. Now by lifting gently on the top of the stud, and at the same time knocking lightly with the other hand, adjust the stud so that it makes a knocking noise when the stud is lifted, but is secure with no pressure on the stud. Do this to all of the studs and the keyframe can be considered bedded to the keybed. The other method is with using strips of newspaper. With the keys off the keyframe but with the stack screwed on and cheekblocks secured, slide a strip of newspaper under each of the bedding screws and starting at one end, turn the studs down until friction is felt when the newspaper is pulled gently. Go onto the next stud and turn it down also until resistance is felt. Recheck the first and second studs before going on to the third. Continue the operation remembering to recheck those studs already set until all of the studs are down. Check the front rail to make sure that the studs are not down so far as to raise the front rail and you are finished.

5) ALIGN ACTION RAIL DISTANCE IF NEEDED

All piano actions were designed with a specific distance between the middle of the centre pin of the hammer shank to the middle of the center pin on the whippen flange. Most actions have an adjustment on one of the other rail to correct this measurement. Some, like Steinway, are permanently set. However, if this distance is not correct, the action will not play right and is impossible to fine regulate. Contact the manufacturer for the correct specifications for the particular instrument if this appears to be the case.

6) REMOVE THE STACK, POLISH KEY PINS, CLEAN KEYFRAME

Take the stack back off the keyframe and set it aside. If the punchings and backrail cloth are in good shape, clean with a brush. If not, replace with new felt and cardboard. Clean the key pins or replace if they are pitted. Turn the front rail pins back straight if they were turned before.

7) PUT KEYS BACK ON KEYFRAME, CHECK CENTER HOLE FOR LOOSE/TIGHT FIT

Return the keys back on the keyframe in the same manner in which they were removed, taking care not to damage the balance hole. If the keys do not slip easily over the pins, ease the balance hole either by removing excess wood (from the sides only) with a file or else by squeezing the wood with a balance pin hole easing tool (available from Yamaha). The file used to remove wood is a #6 round tail bastard with two edges ground down so that only the sides of the hole have wood removed, not the front or back of the key. I prefer the Yamaha tool since it leaves what wood there is there, and eases the inside of the hole to the correct contour from the insides of the hole. Check for looseness at the front/back of the balance hole by pulling gently at the front of the key. If any looseness is evident, then repair the hole area.

8) CHECK BUTTONS, EASE OR REBUSH AS NEEDED

After the balance hole is made to fit, correct any problems with the balance rail button bushing. If too tight, ease with key easing pliers. If too loose, rebush. The correct tolerance is 0.1mm-0.2mm lateral movement.

9) CHECK KEYS AT FRONT RAIL PINS, EASE OR REBUSH AS NEEDED

Similar to the balance rail, ease if too tight, rebush if too loose. Check with the key in the down position. A 0.3mm lateral movement is correct.

10) CLEAN AND BUFF KEYTOPS AND FRONTS

Clean the tops of the keys with a moist cloth, using a little mild dishwater soap if need be. Buff lightly on a clean buffing wheel if desired. To make the plastic feel more like the old ivory, sand down the keytops lightly with 0000 steel wool or wet/dry sandpaper.

11) SQUARE KEYTOPS, CHECK FOR WARPAGE

Using a straightedge upon the key tops, checks for tilting. If not square, take a blunt object against the balance rail pin and bend until the key is square. If the key is warped badly, steam to bend it back.

12) ADJUST KEYHEIGHT AND LEVEL ALL KEYS

If the manufacturer’s specifications are available, try to use the given key height. Where no measurements are given, or if the given height does not work, then the correct keyheight can be figured out. Use an end key #1 or #88 and regulate it completely to make sure everything will work out right. Remember that the key can not be so high as to interfere with fallboard, nor can it be so low that inthe down position the keytop hits on the key slip. The key height should be positioned so that: 1) there is clearance under the fallboard and the underside of the key is not showing at the keyslip in the up position, 2) the key pins still have space showing the top of the balance pin and the key has about 3/16 – 1/4” of the front rail pin inside it in the up position, and 3) in the down position position there is enough key pin left to work with the punchings to achieve aftertouch. You may have to change the thickness of the backrail cloth if conditions 1, 2 & 3 cannot be met. After the correct key height is worked out, level all 52 white keys to this height, using either a beveled straightedge to make the middle keys a little higher, or a regular straightedge to make all 52 the same. Then set the correct height for the sharps, as will be dictated by the type of sharp used. Normally this measurement is 1/2”, from the top of the natural to the top of the sharp. However, some sharps are not this tall and if set at 1/2” would allow the wooden key to show through. Adjust accordingly. Remember that the sharp should be approximately 1/8" above the natural in the down position. Small adjustments can be made if the keys and stack are on the key-frame. Just cut a slot in the correct size punching and by turning the keyframe up and lifting the key and felt punching up slightly, slide the cut punching onto the key pin. When setting the key height, depress the key often so that all of the punchings are pressed down to the bottom of the key pin.

13) LAY DIP

My preference here is to make sure that the dip is deep enough to provide escapement during the rest of the regulation. I will correct this when I later adjust for aftertouch. If this system seems awkward, then set the dip using a key dip block. Whenever adjusting the punchings, always leave the felt punching on top and graduate the paper punchings so that the thickest is on the bottom.

14) SPACE KEYS

As the last procedure in this section, make sure that all of the keys have an equal amount of space between them. In bending the front rail pin to space the keys, lift the felt punching and bend the pin at the bottom. That way if the bending tool does put a nick in the pin, it will be in the area where the punching is and not up higher where it would cause the key bushing to wear. In spacing the sharps, remember that it is more important for the key to be spaced properly and to not rub on its neighbour than it is to be perfectly squared. This grand regulation guide will be continued in the next post.