Uncharted territory

[Conrad Hoffsommer]

Friends,

At the tail end of this semester's bulk tunings, I went into a practice 
room containing:

- Chickering Scale 106, ~1889, 6'4" Square tail.

There was some buzzing and I removed several paper clips - still buzzed. ;-{
What I discovered, when I went around to the rear, was a soundboard which 
had finally given up the ghost.

The middle bridge (actually an offset extension of the long bridge to hold 
6 wound trichords) had pulled up/rolled and the two sides of the chasm were 
about 3mm difference in elevation.  The soundboard along a significant 
section of the main bridge also showed signs of being rent asunder.

The thing tunes well, as the pins are still quite tight from my 
rewhatevering in '85. (4-section pinblock -1 replaced/3 w/falconwood plugs)

I brought the dept head in to see my discoveries, and suggested we start 
setting some shekels aside for a replacement.  I suggested a possibility of 
donating my 5/8" Krakauer for a tax write-off and having the school foot 
the parts bill for me to rebuild it on school time (giving myself job 
security ??? ;-).

Dept head is also head piano prof who expressed an enjoyment of Chickerings 
when they were Chickerings and wondered what could be done to save the carcass.

The short(?) list we came up with on the spur of the moment was:
-replace soundboard/bridges
-replace Edwin Brown action w/modern  - I think that this would also 
necessitate new keys/frame/back action

A LOT of work and filled with possible cans of worms...


OTOH, the Krakauer has a great soundboard and a WN&G action.
It needs:

Both bridges recapped, pinblock, hammers, restringing/scaling, key/action 
rebushing as necessary, etc. (Ivories are perfect)


and now the questions.........

Re: Chickering

I do not intend to make this my first/last soundboard/bridge replacement - 
I don't have time, space or enough clamps for OJT soundboard work.  What 
would be a broad ballpark $ for having this done elsewhere?

My gut feeling is that the keys/action/back action replacement would 
probably present a whole case of worm cans.
Again, any $ ballpark for cost of new keys/frame/action/back action and 
most likely variety of worms encountered in the retrofit?

Re: Krakauer

I asked bunches of questions a year ago when I first got the beastie, and 
to replace the cracked square leg plates I've found that I can use the 
round ones from ye olde Brambach by just routing out the square mortices. 
(whew!)   I've not done bridge recapping, other than the top section of the 
Chickering, but don't feel as intimidated as doing a s/b and/or action 
replacement, plus I DO already have the tools I need.

Reply off-list if you wish, particularly if you quote wholesale prices.

Thanks.

Conrad
hoffsoco@luther.edu

Conrad Hoffsommer

Early to rise: early to bed;
Makes a man healthy, and socially dead.