>I've never replaced a board myself, but I have worked on quite a few pianos that >have had new boards installed. These all, however, have used the old bridges >with no recapping done. The tone on these pianos, though quite musical, did not >have the attack clarity that I associate with a really fine instrument. It >prompted me to initiate a program at Oberlin (will start some time next >semester) that will allow us to recap bridges on many of our old Steinways that >appear to have good boards. I will gladly tell you what sort of tonal results we >get with these instruments. > I've done several, most with new caps, and I can confirm that the cap is not only one of the most critical factors to a sucessfull project, but also the most difficult. Crowning, rib gluing and board scaling (thinning) is also important, but pretty straightforward in it's execution. For me the bridge capping and pinning is the "black art." On the original question about salvaging old boards, I have heard of instrument restorers doing this, but it's very laborious. You also have to keep in mind that a soundboard structure is soft wood glued to soft wood. The only way of removing the ribs that I could conceive of would be by cutting the ribs off carefully down to the glue joint and then trying to remove the glue - again, very laborious. My guess is that the results would not justify the trouble. Old boards are not just aged wood - they are an aged engineered structure that had failed due to material failure. If it were just a problem of failed glue joints, you might have something to work with, but you're also dealing with failure due to wood fiber crushing and structural creep. I think the idea of salvage for other stringed intruments is a better idea. >PS One thing I have relearned in the getting ready stages for the bridge >capping is how enjoyable and useful sharp planes and chisels can be. Aww Ken, wouldn't you rather get your hands on a howling three horsepower plunge router with a 3/4" carbide bit, spewing dust and pulverized wood into every cavity in your head, clothing and shop - straining under your grip to turn loose and shred everything in range of it's power cord? ;^) Mark Mark Story, RPT Eastern Washington University | mstory@ewu.edu Cheney, Washington, USA | mark.story@phunnet.org
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