InstallingWNGLowFrictionFrontRailPins

Tools
Handtools #16(.177)/4.5mmjobbersdrillbit 1/8(.125)/3.2mmjobbersdrillbit FrontRailPinInsertiontool ViceGrips Sandpaperblock Smallcountersink Digitalcalipers Electricdrill3/8(10mmto13mm) Handairnozzle Specialtytools FrontRailPinInsertionTool NylonBushingInsertionTool FrontRailPinRegulationTool Sidecutters Uprighthammerremovaltool Shoptools Drillpress Keyboardtablefordrillpress Aircompressor(Desirablebutnotabsolutelynecessary) Parts Onesetoffrontrailpins(Includesnylonbushingstouseasneeded). Supplies 120gritsandpaper Buckskin(maybe) /12mmhardwooddowel

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Figure1 Thetoolsrequired

Installation
Selectthecorrectpartsforyourpiano.

Figure2 AnatomyofaWNGFrontRail Page2

 WNGmakestwofundamentallydifferentsizesoffrontrailpins.Thedifferencehastodowiththe widthofthesurfacethatguidesthekeyinitsmotion. TheAmericanStandardpinsaresizedtoreplacefrontrailpinsinAmericanpianos.Theguiding surfaceis.146or3.71mm.Therearetwolengthsofpins,short(37mm)andlong(40mm). TheEuropeanStandardfrontrailpinsaresizedtoreplacefrontrailpinsonthevastmajorityof importedpianos,AsianaswellasEuropean.Theguidingsurfaceis.128or3.26mm.Thereisonly onelengthonthesepins(42mm). Pickthefrontrailpinsthatthewidthoftheguidingsurfaceistheclosesttothepinsinyourpiano. Donotworryaboutthediameteroftheinsertionshaftofthekeypinsfromyourpiano.Therearetoo manydifferentdiametersinoldpianosforustomakepartsthatfitall.However,aspartofthekit,we haveprovidedasolution.AllWNGFrontRailPinshaveaninsertionshaftdiameterof3.25mm(.128). OnAmericanpianosyouwillneedtousethenylonKeyPinBushingbecausetheholeinthekeyframe willbelargerthanthediameteroftheinsertionshaftoftheWNGFrontRailPins.Wesupplythese bushingswitheverysetofkeypinsforyourconvenience.

Figure3 WNGFrontRailPins

Removetheoldfrontrailpinsfromthekeyframe.
Stripthefrontrailpunchingfromthekeyframe.Mostofthetimeyouwillwanttoreplacethecloth punchinghowever,iftheyarenearlynew,placetheclothpunchinginacupsothatyoudonotlose themwhilethefrontrailpinsareoffthekeyboard. Page3

 Figure 4 Removing front rail punchings Removetheoldfrontrailpinsfromthekeyframe.Therearethreewaystoremovefrontrailpins. Theeasiestwayistosimplygrabtheoldfrontrailpinwithapairofvicegripsandpullwhilerotating thepinfromsidetoside.Usuallythepinwillbeeasytoremoveinthisfashion.Thejawsofthevice gripswilldamagetheoldfrontrailpinsifusedinthisfashionthusthismethodassumesyouwill discardtheoldfrontrailpins.Itisimportantthatyounotelongatetheholesduringremoval. Ifyouwishtosavetheoldpins(wepianotechniciansdokeepeverythingdontwe)useapieceof buckskinbetweenthepinandthevicegripssothattheguidingsurfaceispreserved.

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 Figure5 Removingfrontrailpinswiththesimplevicegripmethod Anothermethodistousevicegripstoprovidesomethingtograbthepinwhileusinganupright hammerpullingtooltoliftthepinfromthefrontrail.Itislikelyyouwillnotbeabletosavethepin usingthismethod. Last,youcanusetheuprighthammerpullingtooltoliftthepinatthefrontrailwhilegrabbingthepin withapairofsidecutters.Again,thecuttersruinthepinsoifyouwishtosavethepinsyoushould notusethismethod.

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Figure6 Removingfrontrailpinswith vicegripsandpuller Figure7 Removingfrontrailpinswith sidecutterandpuller

DetermineifyouneedtousetheincludednylonKeyPinBushings.
WhywouldyouneedanylonKeyPinBushing?MostoftheoldAmericanstylefrontrailpinswere madebyforgingtheguidingshapefromaroundpin.Usuallythepindiameterislargerthanthe guidingsurface.WNGfrontrailpinsaremadeusingadifferentprocess.Ourpinsstartasan extrusionandtheroundshaftismachinedfromtheextrusion.Asapracticalmatter,thediameterof theroundinsertionshaftisconsiderablysmalleronourpinsthanistypicalofolderAmericanpianos. Ontheotherhand,sinceourpinsaremadetointernationalstandards,ifyouarereplacingthekeypins onanimportedpianoitispossibletheywillworkwithouttheuseofthenylonKeyPinBushing.

Figure8 NewFrontRailPinwithoversizehole Page6

Measurethediameteroftheinsertionshaftatthebottomoftheoldfrontrailpins.Useapairof digitalcaliperstomeasurethebottomoftheoldpins.

Figure9 Figure10 AnatomyofaWNGFrontRail Measureinsertionshaft Pin DecidewhethertousethenylonKeyPinBushings.Comparethesizeoftheoldpintothenew.If theoldpinislargerthan3.25mmyouwillneedtousethenylonKeyPinBushings.Mostlikelytheold pinwillnotbesignificantlysmallerthanthenewkeypinhowever,ifitisyoumightstillneedtoream outtheholeinthefrontrailsothatthenewkeypinfitstheholeproperly.

SizefrontrailkeypinholesforthenylonKeyPinBushings(Requiredifusing bushings).
Whatdoyouneedtoaccomplishhere?Youneedtoreamouttheoldkeypinholeforanylon bushingthatwillholdthenewkeypin.Theholeneedsabout.005or.12mmsmallerthanthe bushingfortheproperinterferencefit.Usea.183or4.6mmdrillbit.Thedepthdrillingneedstobe suchthatthebushingcomesoutflushwiththefrontrailafterinstallation. Setupyourdrillpress.Attachakeyframetabletothedrillpresstable.Thistablewillholdthe keyframeunderthequillofthedrillpress.Thetableneedstobeslightlyover6long(72or 1800mm).Thislengthisrequiredbecause,whiledrillingnote1ornote88,youwanttheendofthe tabletobepastthebalancepointofthekeyframe.Droppingyourkeyframeisnotconsideredgood form. Youwillneedtosetupthedrillbityouintendtousetodrilltoadepthof15mm(.59).Youmightask, Whynotsetthestopsonthedrillpress?Thiswouldworkifthefrontrailwasthesamethickness Page7

fromoneendtotheother.Becauseofkeyframefitting,youcannotcountonthefrontrailtobea consistentthickness. Useadowelonthedrillbittocontrolthedepthofthehole.Drillacenterholethroughapieceof dowelusingthedrillyouintendtouseonthekeyframe.Cutthelengthofthedowelsothatwhenthe dowelisplacedontothedrillbit,15mmor(.59)sticksoutfromthedowelonthedrillingendand1 protrudesfromtheotherendforthechuck.Placethedrillintothechuckandtightensothejawsof thechuckcontactthedowel.Thisway,thedowelcannotslideupthedrillbitwhenusedasastop. Adjusttheheightofthetablesothatdrillbitisapproximately1/8(.125)or3mmabovethehigh pointofthefrontrail.Slidethekeyframefromoneendtotheotherbecauseitislikelythattherailis notthesamedimensionfromoneendtotheother.

Figure11 Drillbitwithdowelstop Figure12 Drillbitwithdowelstopindrillpress

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DrillouttheoldkeyframeholesforthenylonKeyPinBushings.Positionthefrontrailunderthedrill bitsothatthedrillwillreamtheholewithoutchangingitspositionorbendingthedrillbit.Drillthe holeuntilthedowelcomesintocontactwiththekeyframe.

Figure13 Drillingthefrontrail Page9

Countersinkthehole.Youneedtocreateasmallcountersinksothattheedgeofthebushing encountersaninclinedplanetoguideitintothehole.Thecountersinkdiametershouldonlybeabout 1mm(.040)largerthanthehole.Placethecountersinkintoahandhelddrill.Lightlytouchthe countersinktothematerialaroundtheholetoquicklycreatethecountersink.

Figure14 Countersinkthenylonbushingholes Sandtheraisedburrsoffthefrontrail.Useasandingblockwith120gritsandpapertocleanoffthe topofthefrontrailsothatallburrsraisedbythedrillingprocessareremoved. Page10

Blowoffalldrillingandsandingdebrisbeforeproceeding.

Figure15 Sandfrontrailtocleanandremoveburrs

PressthenylonKeyPinBushingsintothereamedholes(Requiredifusing bushings).
Usethedrillpressasanarborpress.Yourdrillpresscanprovidedownwardpressurewithout spinningthedrill.Thisisveryusefulforinsertingthenylonbushingsandlaterthefrontrailpins. SetupdrillpresswithNylonBushingInsertionTool.Placetoolinchuckwiththejawsagainstthelip inthetool.Thiswillkeepthetoolfromslidingupinthechuckwhilepressingthebushingintothe frontrail.

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Figure16 Bushinginsertiontool

Figure17 BushingInsertionToolinDrillPress Page12

 Figure18 InsertingNylonBushingsintothefrontrail Pressbushingsintothefrontrail.HoldthebushingovertheholeandusetheBushingInserterto exertdownwardpressureonthebushing.Pressinuntilthebushingisflushwiththefrontrailand fullybottomedinthehole.Depthdrillingcorrectlyisimportant.

Drilloutthebushingsforthekeypins(Requiredifusingbushings).
Whyarewedoingthis?Afterthenylonbushingispressedintothefrontrailthefittothekeypinis muchtootight.Ifyoutrytopressthepinintothebushingatthispointyouwillbreakthekeypin. Weneedtodrilloutthebushingsothereisareasonablepressfit.Inaddition,weneedtodeepenthe holesotheshaftofthefrontrailpindoesnothitthebottombeforethetopseatsonthefrontrail. Setupdrillpress.Placea1/8(.125)or3.2mmdrillbitintothechuckinthedrillpress.Setthe heightofthetablesothatthedrillbitisabovethehighestplaceonthefrontrailby1/8(3mm).Set thestopssothatyoudrillatleastdownfromthetopoftherailatleast.6875/17.5mm.Sincethe pinitselfwillstopwhenthetoppartcomesintocontactwiththerailaprecisedepthdrillingisnot necessary.Itisrequired,however,thattheholebedeepenoughsothatthepinwillnotbottom.

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 Figure19 Setup drill press to drilloutNylonBushings Drilltheholes.Positionthefrontrailunderthedrillbitsothatthedrillwillreamtheholewithout changingitspositionorbendingthedrillbit.Drilltheholetothestops.

Figure20 DrillingNylonBushingsinthefrontrail Page14

Installthefrontrailpins
Usethedrillpressasanarborpress.Yourdrillpresscanprovidedownwardpressurewithout spinningthedrill.Thisisveryusefulforinsertingthefrontrailpins.

Figure21 FrontRailPinInsertionTool

Figure22 DrillpresssetupwithFrontRailPinInsertionTool SetupdrillpresswithFrontRailPinInsertionTool.Placetoolinchuckwiththejawsagainstthelipin thetool.Thiskeepsthetoolfromslidingupinthechuckwhilepressingthebushingintothefrontrail. Page15

 Figure23 InsertingFrontRailPinsintoNylonBushings PressFrontRailPinsintothefrontrail(bushingornot).Holdthefrontrailpinovertheholeanduse theInsertionTooltoexertdownwardpressureonthefrontrailpin.Pressinuntilthefrontrailpinis fullybottomedintherail. Page16

RegulatetheFrontRailPins

Figure24 AlignFrontRailPins Alignthepinstoguidethekeys.UseaFrontRailPinRegulationTooltoturnthepinsparalleltothe directionofthekeys.

Figure25 FeltKeyframe FelttheFrontRail.Placeclothfrontrailpunchingonthefrontrailpins. Page17

 Figure25 FeltKeyframe Checkkeyeasingbetweenthebushingsandthefrontrailpins.Makesurethatyouhaveturnedthe keypinstotheirsmallestprofilefirst.Youshouldexpectthatthepossibilityexiststhatthekeyswill needtobeeasedorevenrebushedasthispoint.Theclearancebetweenthenewpinsandthekey bushingsisveryimportanttotheplayabilityofthepiano.

Figure26 LevelKeys

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 Figure27 SetKeyDip Gooverlevelanddip.Thekeysneedtobeleveledanddippedsotheactionworksproperly.Also,it isnotpossibletoaccuratelyspacethekeysuntilyouaresurethatthekeylevelisdonewell.

Figure28 Space Keys Spacethekeys.Youwillprobablyhavemoretodowhenyouspacethekeysthanyoutypically encounterduringmostofyourjobs.Typicallythisworkwasdonefirstduringthefabricationofthe Page19

keyboardandlaterduringinstallationoftheactionintothepiano.Technicians,inthefield,rarelysee arawkeyboard. Youspaceakeybybendingthefrontrailpinsidetosidesothegapsbetweenthekeysareequalized.

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