Rebuilding Henry

[Will Truitt]

So Dale, is this a customer piano, or are you making mischief all by
yourself?

 

Will Truitt

 

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of erwinspiano at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 10:56 AM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Rebuilding Henry

 

  Good Morning All Fellow Belly Heads
   It's not often I get to start over & actually design a piano but this was
a good candidate & it's been fun. It was also necessary. 
    I Love the Non Steinway projects especially the big ones. I am
rebuilding a 6 ft 8 inch Henry F. Miller from the early 1900's.  It's great
because it's....big ...Has a horribly designed board & string scale but it
is built like a tank.
  This Job has been a bit daunting because of the duplex angles on the
pinblock to flange & also the mortised in pinblock. Dennis & I had to build
it in two sections & then patch up the side of the case where it was cut
out.
   The String scale was a nightmare that averaged between 220 & 240 per
plain wire string.  Aggregate plain wire tensions was 38 Thousand pounds.
Add the bass string tension & it's pushing 50 thousand pounds total tension
on the plate.  Un heard of!  Just changing wire size wasn't going to get
there. New wire tension was down to 33 thousand.
  This meant making a new bridge. I modeled the new one off a 1894 Steinway
B bridge/scale & got the tensions down to 160 to 180. Very Steinwayish &
normal. Also the new bridge shape shaved off two plus inches in string
length & now lies closer to the center of the rib structure. See bridge
laying side by side or over layed. 
  I changed rib scales to work nicely with he string scale. 15 ribs fanned &
taller of course. The old board probably caved in under the tension of the
original scale before it left the factory.

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItogcU*
MGYr4fuv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> 

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItogcU*
MGYr4fuv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> View full size

 

  Below is the redesign & addition of the fish.  I think the bridge on this
piano lies closer to the actual center of the ribs than any other I've done.

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItojoCE
oi6r*B-v4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> 

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItojoCE
oi6r*B-v4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> View full size

 

  Below I laid the old bridge end right on top of the note 88 location & the
bottom end on the appropriate note on the low tenor end.  The difference is
seen
 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItogit5
yJKITpxv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> 

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItogit5
yJKITpxv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> View full size

 

     Below shows the new bridge & transition bridge

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItoqa0v
Yvk2G28v4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> 

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItoqa0v
Yvk2G28v4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> View full size

 

 Here is a new plate suspension system that Ron N. & David Love shared with
me. The miller plate set on a wooden top caul with 17 screws. Duplicating
such a thing is joke. SO for about 2 bucks a piece this simple & elegant
solution quickly solved my plate elevation issues. Parts are from Mac Master
-Carr.  They have everything! I filled int he counter sunk plate screw holes
with epoxy & high density filler then re drilled the entire hole a bit
bigger for clearance.

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuIton9At
jdXyITOv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> 

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuIton9At
jdXyITOv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> View full size

 

  Here is a new device. Below.  I got this idea from David Betts at NBSS.
It's high density rubber that is used to glue in the board. No more wood
strips lined with plastic to keep things from sticking. It bends with a bit
of effort. Very slick. Glued the board in Yesterday. I have always wanted to
put a Steinway String scale/bridge in something else & see what I could
produce tonally. I guess we'll know soon.
 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItoglPf
QDSgX2Hv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> 

 
<http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=e8d0ZBAkj8b9hteeS5PIZuItoglPf
QDSgX2Hv4xQp5Fd3Ig%3D> View full size

 

  Dale Erwin

  _____  

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