[CAUT] Knabe Grand

David Ilvedson ilvey@sbcglobal.net
Fri, 15 Oct 2004 14:41:26 -0700


Speaking of lyre repairs....has the Journal ever had a extensive article on lyre repairs...field and shop...every possible situation?   Seems to me Jim Harvey did something or had a class...

David Ilvedson, RPT



----- Original message ---------------------------------------->
From: Otto Keyes <okeyes@uidaho.edu>
To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org>
Received: Fri, 15 Oct 2004 13:10:46 -0700
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Knabe Grand

>This summer I had a Sohmer grand w/ fluted legs, scrollwork lyre, etc, that
>the got shoved around the theatre lobby, leg knocked off, & lyre crushed .
>Not a pretty sight, & no possible way to duplicate it.  Both uprights were
>broken right at the top of the pedal box at the smallest/weakest possible
>spot in the turning.  I ended up using polyurethane liquid glue at the
>breaks (this stuff needs good clamping or it will push the parts apart),
>then drilled up through the pedal box into the uprights & glued in maple
>dowels.  The repair is very solid & hardly visible...if you stand back about
>20 feet, & squint your eyes into the darkness under the piano.

>Actually it turned out pretty decently, but would have been better had I
>located the center of the dowel/upright from the top & drilled a pilot hole.
>I made an assumption (violating Otto's motto:  "Check everyting before you
>do anything!") and didn't realize until too late that the dowels did not
>extend all the way into the pedal box.  So I measured & centered as best I
>could, but the drill hole breached the thin spot in the upright, allowing
>the reinforcing dowel to protrude a bit.  I could have shaped that down, but
>wanted the full strength, so I disguised it & it came out pretty well.

>The poly glue is tough stuff on its own, & will hold pretty well -- even on
>an end grain joint.  Just don't try to wipe off the excess.  Let it cure,
>then chip/cut off the foam.

>Otto

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Avery Todd" <atodd@uh.edu>
>To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org>
>Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 11:51 AM
>Subject: [CAUT] Knabe Grand


>> List,
>>
>> Would anyone happen to have a suggestion on where I might be able to find
>> someone to duplicate/repair a badly messed up pedal lyre on an old Knabe
>> grand, app. 6'3"? I
>> sent an e-mail to a tech friend of mine in this general area but I don't
>> know if
>> he'll have the time to do it, so in the meantime, I thought I'd see if
>anyone
>> had any other suggestions.
>>
>> I was working with the pedals and suddenly, the whole bottom of it broke
>> and/or
>> came loose. It's obviously been worked on before, not very well. I'm not a
>> good
>> enough woodworker to do this one, so any suggestions would be welcome.
>Even
>> replacing it.
>>
>> The one pictured in the Schaff catalogue "might" be adaptable but the
>> measurements
>> are somewhat different.
>>
>> Theirs: 21¼" high, 13½" wide @ top, 10" wide @ pedals.
>> Mine:   23"  high, 12"  wide @ top, 8½" wide @ pedals.
>>
>> There is a little flaring out in the design on the Knabe, so there would
>> probably
>> be room to "cheat" a little. It would be nice to have an exact duplicate
>but I
>> seriously doubt that's possible. Unless someone can duplicate some of the
>> parts.
>>
>> Actually, I just took another look and realized that the only thing that
>would
>> have to be done is to duplicate the two tapered "legs" between the pedal
>> box and
>> the top and drill out and replace the old dowels that join the two.
>>
>> I'll probably be putting this on the pianotech list tonight when I get
>> home, so
>> I apologize in advance to any of you who will end up getting two of these
>> posts.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Avery
>>
>> ________________________________
>> Avery Todd
>> University of Houston
>> Houston, TX
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> caut list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
>>


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