old Steinway ivories

[David Love]

The technique did involve using linen (more like cheesecloth).  The linen
functions to accommodate the different rates of expansion between the ivory
and the wood.  The lines you see are a texturing of the glue.  Usually, a
layer of glue was laid down, then the linen was put over, then another
layer of glue.  It was allowed to dry and the excess was trimmed.  The
ivory was then laid down and a hot caul was clamped on top to activate the
glue.  The wood insert you see covers the bottom (or top) of the mortise.

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Allen Wright <awright440@cinci.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 10/21/2003 7:07:22 AM
> Subject: old Steinway ivories
>
> List,
>
> I've taken on a job of replacing a dozen or so missing ivory fronts (using
> my collection of old ivories) on an old (ca. 1911) Steinway grand in
> otherwise pretty good shape. Don't normally work on old uprights much
> anymore, but I decided to do this partly because I enjoy doing chipped key
> repairs with the acrylic kit.
>
> I discovered when I got the keys home that they don't in fact seem to have
> used ivory wafers, or linen or glue and whiting on these originally.
Instead
> it looks to me like the tops of the keys were scored with small grooves
> front-to-back (very straight and consistent) and some sort of glue must
have
> been used, although I really don't see any remnants of glue.
>
> I've been reading old journal articles trying to learn the right way to
use
> ivory wafers, and have gotten the clear impression that ivory will only
work
> using a linen undersupport. Otherwise, it will crack eventually. Yet these
> keys have survived 90+ years (most of them, anyway) and look great. They
> haven't even curled much. Can anyone tell me how Steinway glued these on?
> Was it just hide glue?
>
> Another thing I don't get about these keys is that there is a wood insert
> about 3/4" wide and 3/16" thick right in the middle of the fronts, on top
of
> the keys - what was that for? Related to making the mortise?
>
> Pardon my ignorance.
>
> Any suggestions will be appreciated.
>
> Allen Wright
> Cincinnati, Ohio
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