[pianotech] Bass bridge repair

[Ron Nossaman]

paul bruesch wrote:
> Hi Ron,
> 
> Well, the piano is in my "shop" (garage... it's really hard to refer to 
> it as a "shop", and even more so during a Minnesota winter) and the 
> bridge is already out of the piano. The left-hand end of the apron was 
> swinging on its nail after splitting top-bottom. I think I can handle 
> that, tho'. 

Ah, the "cat on the screen door" syndrome, where you let the 
tension down and the bridge falls to the bottom of the piano. 
An old favorite! That makes the decision really easy.


> The original bridge was capped, but the divots as you say do extend into 
> the root. Perhaps this would be even more of a "learning opportunity" 
> than I'd ever anticipated. I'm assuming you would make a solid 
> replacement without cap, right?

Right. If the bearing and such seemed about where you want it, 
assuming you could tell, just reproduce the dimensions of the 
original root/cap in Delignit, horizontal lamination. If you 
need more thickness, glue two slabs of Delignit together and 
rip to the thickness needed. It doesn't matter where the joint 
ends up. Lay out the pin locations from either a pattern made 
from the original (quick and nearly always adequate) or in the 
piano stretching thread where the strings will go. Drill 
deeper than necessary for the pin length, bevel the "notches" 
with a spokeshave, and install the pins. If you have plate 
clearance, leave the end a little longer where it broke out in 
the original, and don't bevel the top edge of the end, so 
it'll be stronger. Pin it, driving pins to final height. 
Finish it, or not (I never did), and install.

That's it. Try it. It'll be fun.
Ron N