Old technology meets new: Installing pedals on an upright piano

While installing pedals on a 90 year old upright piano, I had the opportunity to upgrade materials, and have a little fun at the lathe. The old pivot system employed a hardwood dowel bushing in a cast iron bracket. The system was likely a good one for the first 30 years, but with wear, it became floppy and noisy, and broken. I chose to fabricate new bushings to be used in the old brackets using UHMW (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) rod. UHMW is ideal for this application, since it is self-lubricating. For someone who doesn't do a lot of lathe work, it presented a bit of a creative challenge, and I'm pleased with the result. I'm sure it will be serviceable for many years, and earns a lifetime guarantee.

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