List, I have a friend who is not on the list who asked me a question I promised to pass along. Perhaps someone can either help or refer to someone who can. I'd be interested in the answers too. I will forward any replies to him. Here it is: ---------------- Hi Bob, I've really run into a piano 'case' stumbling block re the warped front lid of the grand described in the following paragraph. Because I'd have to match any newly-manufactured front lid (rosewood) to the larger lid section, this would seem cost-prohibitive, not to mention the problem of veneer matching. The piece in question is 20 inches or so by about 55 inches. The warping seems to be on a diagonal from -- where the back left corner is hinged to the larger section -- to the front right hand corner -- and the front right corner is perhaps 1/2 in. to 3/4 inch higher vis a vis the rim than the left front corner. This 'warping' does not seem to be related to the way the lid is hinged (the same 'lift' is observed when this piece is placed on a work table). I've also tried putting the concave side down on wet newspapers and letting the hot afternoon sun operate on the other side; I have not improved the original situation. The overall effect, apart from the lifted right front corner, is that the "cut" line between the 2 lid sections (6 small hinges are used) seems short-changed at the right end where a gap occurs and the rightmost hinge is stressed. When we moved to ****** about a year ago, I dragged with us this very tired 7' rosewood Weber grand (circa 1885). Originally, it was only to have been the source of the big cabriole legs I couldn't find for the Steinway C. Then, after I found 'duplicarved' Steinway legs, I figured that rebuiilding this Weber with modern wippens, etc., would be excellent 'experience'. Well, I put a new pin block in it and restrung it prior to our move. But I can't close down the darn lid! Do you know of anyone who could possibly straighten this section out -- someone perhaps with a press or other method to flatten this out? ------------------------------ [my initial reply: I can't say I have a brilliant solution for your lid dilemma. One wonders what caused it. The problem would probably be in the core, and since it is veneered, wetting enough to get to the core could easily dissolve the glue which holds the veneer on, so I don't see that as workable. The only thing I could think of would be plain old pressure in the opposite direction. Heat would help, but who knows how long that could take, or if it would cause collateral damage. I'd guess that pressure would be the only hope, but this is outside my range of expertise. Maybe I'd just learn to enjoy the asymmetry. I will pose your query to the pianotech list and forward any responses. Maybe we'll both learn something.] Thanks all, Bob Davis
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