Too Much Crown?

[Wilsons]

Duct tape?  :)    I actually don't have a clue on this one -- I expect most will
recommend new board & bridges....

Wally Wilson

Farrell wrote:

> Help! I just tore down a 1890 (or so) Estey 4' 10" grand. the other day. It
> is actually a VERY heavily built piano - lots of framing. It is
> full-featured - four sections, agraffes & capo.
>
> Anyway, the problem. The soundboard is totally trashed. It is really cracked
> and the edges between planks are warped up where they have separated from. I
> have been drying the soundboard for about a week with a damp-chaser rod
> underneath and sheets on top (real nice in there - about 95 degrees and 30%
> relative humidity). I was routing out four or five of the 8 or 10 MAJOR
> cracks when B-O-I-N-G, the tenor end of the treble bridge springs up and
> just about sent me through the roof. The bridge end came up with a big chunk
> of soundboard so that now there is a 1/4-inch gap between the soundboard and
> ribs at the tenor end of the treble bridge (soundboard is cracked both sides
> of bridge). IT'S HUGE.
>
> I stared at it for a while trying to figure it out. Got a string and a
> straight edge out. Under the soundboard with the string measuring
> perpendicular to soundboard grain and parallel with ribs, there is about 1/4
> inch of crown in board (not really a crown, but rather a "V" with the apex
> under the treble bridge). Put the straight edge parallel with and adjacent
> to the treble bridge and WOW there is a whopping 11/16" of crown parallel to
> the soundboard grain and perpendicular to the ribs. If you sight down the
> treble bridge, it is fairly straight. It would appear that this is why the
> bridge end sprung up.
>
> I guess my question is if I bend the &$%#*@ out of the bridge, block the
> ribs up (hey, we can put even more crown in this puppy!) and glue the
> ribs/soundboard/bridge sandwich back together what might I have? Will it
> likely stay together? Will this do something really wierd to the instrument
> sound?
>
> Before you pros tell me what needs to be done, I know (new board, bridges,
> etc.). That will not happen for about 10,000 reasons no one want to hear
> about. Either I will fix what is there, or I will have to tell the owner
> that it cannot be fixed (the owner is capable of understanding zero - I have
> tried in the past - she says "well, just do the best you can"). A large part
> of what is bugging me is that I really don't want to have my finger prints
> of this one, but I am in too deep now. :-(
>
> Terry Farrell
> Piano Tuning & Service
> Tampa, Florida
> mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com