[pianotech] Bass bridge repair

[paul bruesch]

Thanks Ron... I'll do that. The original bridge is slightly less than
1.375", so I reckon I won't have to glue slabs together as long as I start
with 1.375" or thicker stock.

Thanks everyone!
Paul Bruesch
Stillwater, MN

On Sun, May 31, 2009 at 12:34 PM, Ron Nossaman <rnossaman at cox.net> wrote:

> 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
>
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