wrong repair

Robert Goodale Robert.Goodale@nau.edu
Thu, 04 Jun 1998 15:43:36 -0700


John R Fortiner wrote:
> 
> Just thought you could cry with me about this one.  I looked at an
> Everett console piano a couple of days ago that had a damaged leg - so I
> was told by the customer.  Well------ the damage went way beyond the leg
> as the real problem was that the bottom of the key bed that the leg was
> mounted to was fractured.  Some previous owner had tried to fix this with
> a generous application of Elmers (white btw).  The story doesn't stop
> there as in the process of gluing the key bed the squeeze out also
> managed to get on the tops of low A and B ( fortunately they still play
> ).  AND the same squeeze out proceeded not only to these keys and the
> split bed, but also to the key slip and to the cheek block on that side
> of the piano, none of which are currently removable without some serious
> work alongs the lines of glue line breaking.  Any thoughts as to how to
> tackle this???  (I have considered a match and about a gallon of gas or
> its equivalent.)



Perhaps a possible repair solution that occured to me....

1. Bring the piano into your shop. Remove the keybed from the piano
entirely. Break apart all unwanted glue joints. Perhaps one of those
off-set bridge removing chisels would help with the cheek blocks and key
slip.

2. Using whatever means possible, break apart the "repaired" key bed
joint that was glued.

3. Clean things up a bit and reglue the joint properly using long pipe
clamps. You may need to use extra bracing during the gluing to make sure
the bed doesn't become askewed in some way.

4. Reassemble everything, making whatever additional touch-ups are
needed along the way.

5. Realign things as needed and regulate the piano.

Hope this helps...

Rob Goodale, RPT


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