Bird Cage Rebuilding?

[Barrie Heaton]

Done 100s over the years, the actions are a lot easier to regulate than 
under dampers. If you are replacing the damper felt you will need end 
grain felt. However, I find that most do not need it,  just a good 
cleaning up,  if the action does not have a central locking nut, I would 
recommend fitting one this improves the damping no end.

If it is only a 3/4 frame I would take a good look at the tuning plank 
some times they tend to pull down I don't normal re-string over damper 
pianos with 3/4 frames.     As to the rest it is just normal rebuilding.


Some of the basses of the bigger ones are quite nice, I did a Bluthner 
over damper a few years ago turned out very nice, the action was a bit 
of a pig it had brass flanges and some dimwit put oil on them, so I had 
to rebush the lot.

Barrie,


In article <200005250119.TAA00836@bridget.rudoff.com>, Patrick C. 
Poulson <ppoulson@jps.net> writes
>Hello Pianotechers! This message goes out to those of you with experience in
>working on birdcage pianos, and most especially to any Brits out there.  I
>have read that you fortunate fellows in Great Britain still service these
>old instruments more commonly than we Yanks do.
>    Normally I would run screaming from one of these old relics, but this
>one does seem to have remote possibilities of being usable.  It has a two
>piece metal plate, and basically modern action parts except for the
>overdampers.  It is a Wessex by Milson, #70283.  I can't date it with
>Pierce's Piano Atlas, and wondered if there is anyone with a book that shows
>this brand.  The owners bought it at an antique store, with out consulting a
>technician of course, and want to know what it would take to restore it.  I
>gave them all the usual caveats about birdcage pianos, and if it wasn't for
>the partially modern design of the piano I would flatly refuse to work on
>it.  Has anyone had any experience rebuilding these things? It needs new
>strings, dampers, key rebushing,  and a complete regulation. The soundboard
>and pinblock are in reasonably good condition, especially for their age.
>Interestingly enough the hammers have very little wear, and may have been
>replace, or just not used much.
>    Thanks for your input.  Patrick Poulson, RPT
>
>

-- 
Barrie Heaton               Ý The U.K. Piano Page:
http://www.a440.co.uk       Ý http://www.uk-piano.org/
PGP Key on request          Ý Home to the UK Piano Industry