How to make a piano keyboard

Step 13 Installing the hoppers

Modern piano keys have special capstan-like screws stuck in round holes to push the action parts in motion, but my keys have hoppers glued into slots like the ones for Davies' sticker action upright. I used a Woodruff keyseat cutter chucked in my drill press to make the slots. I didn't have one the right size so I set a smaller one the right height above the table to cut the upper side of the slot and then stuck the right size shim to bring the key so it cut the other side, and removed the waste with a narrow mortising chisel.

I glued each hopper in with the key off the keyframe, and then replaced them so I could check the alignment with a straightedge and redo any that were out of line while the glue was still wet.