Broadwood - "cheek lift"

[Farrell]

Joe explained the "cheek lift" phenomena to me a while back. In general, the strings have their tension running from the rear left corner of the piano to the right front corner. This tension over the years will tend to warp these two corners upward. I found the easiest way to evaluate this condition is to stand back from the piano (perhaps at least 3 meters, maybe as much as 10 meters) and get your eyes on a plane with the top edge of the piano case. Likely best to look toward one of the sides (in this example, we will sight toward the left (pinblock) end). Now line up the closer top case edge with the far top case edge. When the piano was new, presumably you can make one line out of both edges (the lines formed by the two case top edges (actually, all four top edges!) all would lie in the same plane. Presumably after 160 years, as you sight toward the left side of the piano case, the left end (rear end) of the close edge (left side of piano) will be above the left end of the far edge - the two lines formed by the top edges of the case sides will not lie in the same plane, but rather that plane has been twisted. That is what Joe is calling "cheek lift". The case has been twisted.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Brekne" <Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2002 3:17 PM
Subject: Re: Broadwood pics/ Richard


> Joseph Garrett wrote:
> 
> > Richard,
> > You mentioned cracks in the keybed. This is usually an indication of "Cheek
> > Lift". I'd advise double checking this situation, before you proceed. If it
> > does have it, scaling could help, but not much. As for "crown", etc., there
> > generally isn't much, (I suspect there never was). I've found it doesn't
> > matter on these.
> 
> Hey there Joe, thanks for the tip on the crown. I kind of suspected as much,
> and anticipated that minimal (as in just barely) downbearing was probably also
> the right recipie here.
> 
> Scaling isnt going to be a part of the picture as they want this as close as to
> the origional as possible... so I have this balance to play ... how to make it
> as functional as possible at the same time as holding it as origional as
> possible.
> 
> Cheek Lift.... now theres a new term for me.. Would you mind expounding a bit ?
> There are three really deep cracks and fairly wide cracks.. I can get pictures
> if you want. I had anticipated in filling with an epoxy sawdust mix and sanding
> flat.  You have some wise words for me ? :)
> 
> Also, I noticed today that the back side of the bridge is pulled up from the
> panel. There are lots of soundboard buttons that screw into the bridge and they
> are a bit loose. Problem here is that a couple key ones under the worst part of
> the bass bridge are inaccessible unless I remove the entire pannel. I was
> thinking of drilling a small hole through the bridge and running a bit of piano
> wire through to fashion a clamp to pull it all together again after filling the
> gap with wood glue. But if I have to I suppose I can loosen the panel and get
> it out. Looks like the hardest part would be the left side where it buries into
> the caseing somewhat.  Suggestions ?
> 
> Thanks for the good words of encouragement and advice :)
> 
> So,,.... who were you pulling for... New England or the LA (who moved
> somewhere) Rams. ?
> 
> 
> >
> > Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
> 
> RicB
> 
> --
> Richard Brekne
> RPT, N.P.T.F.
> Bergen, Norway
> mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
> http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
> 
> 
>