Tech Tips — Bushing the balance rail After the front rail is bushed, the keys can be turned over and the front rail cauls will support the keys for a level work surface. As with the front rail, lay out the correct Intermediate cauls, cloth strips, knife, and small hammer. The single shoulder cauls allow two methods of bushing the balance rail: shouldered style as shown at right, or flush cut. To make shouldered bushings you use the shouldered side of the caul, just as with a front rail bushing. To make flush cut bushings, use the flat side as discussed below. We prefer to make shouldered balance rail bushings even if the originals were flush cut. They are slightly faster to install this way, and they look nice. When making flush cut bushings, your first instinct will be to trim the cloth by cutting sideways, against the side of the caul. This will work and will not harm the cauls, but it is slower and more awkward. We prefer the following method: Cut downward against the key button, but angle the knife just slightly away from the caul so a small tab is left sticking up as shown at right. Do the same for the second piece of cloth and the Final cauls. Then, after leaving the Final cauls in place for several hours to size the bushings, trim the tabs flush to the key buttons with a sharp razor blade as shown (center pin end nippers work well also). As a finishing touch you can run a small electric pad sander across the key buttons to tidy the top surface. top of page