Steinway lyre

[Newton Hunt]

>  Rather, they are pinned with removable pins the same as those typically holding the lid support to the rim of the piano.

This IS a good system, you need to be aware of a few items.

You will need to lift the piano up two or three inches to remove or
replace the lyre on this piano.

The top block is secured to two wood screws into the underside of the
keybed, not the leg plate arrangement of later pianos.  If these
screws are loose you will have problems.  Here there are several
options.  I elected to use wood filler from Web Philips to reform the
threads by putting a little into the hole and replacing the screw
through the top block so it would be properly aligned to the original
angled hole.  FIrst one then the other.  It is better done when the
piano is one it's side.  You can use a hardwood plug but care must be
taken to determine the exact angle to redrill the hole.  A slightly
longer or slightly larger screw is possible but you have severe limits
because of the hole in the block and the thickness of the keybed.

The braces go into the pedal box and can be lengthened by the simple
expedient of drilling a hole in one end and installing a long screw, a
#10 or so.  This makes it possible to adjust the lengths of the braces
to adjust for age and shrinkage.

The glue joint between the pedal box and the pilasters must be tight. 
There are two options here.  One is to drill out enough of the wedges
to dismantle the system.  Cut new wedges or get some carpenter wedges
from the builder supply.  Clean out the wedge slot so you can get a
good glue joint and cut the wedges to fit with about 1/3 of the slot
remaining at the bottom when the wedge is installed and fits snug..
Carefully dry fit the assembly and make sure it all fits together like
it was before taking it apart.  Use Titebond or other good glue to
assemble the system and clamp with long furniture clamps or strap
clamp.  Clamps are to prevent vibration from effecting the joint, not
to clamp a joint together so there is little or no glue in the joint.

Second is to use CA glue.  Spritz some accelerator around the block
and pilaster, clamp together a align parts properly, using fresh thin
CA apply around the joint inside the box until you see some at the
joint outside the box or until no more will seep into the joint.  May
take ten minutes or so to get it all in the joint.  Set aside for 24
hours or so.

Check the condition of the brace sockets under the keybed.  Rebuild
them as needed with new wood or wood stuff from Web Philips.

Reassemble carefully and adjust the length of the braces as needed. 
If they are too long you will not be able to get the retainer pins
back in.



			Newton