rib replacement

[antares]

> From: "Phillip L Ford" <fordpiano@lycos.com>
> Organization: Lycos Mail  (http://mail.lycos.com:80)
> Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 07:36:39  0000
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re: rib replacement
> 
> How does one go about replacing the ribs without
> replacing the soundboard?
> 
> Phil F
> ---
> Phillip Ford
> Piano Service & Restoration
> 1777 Yosemite Ave - 215
> San Francisco, CA  94124

By 'taking out' the soundboard,
planing off the old ribs,
making a mould for the new ribs,
creating a hollow surface to glue down the ribs,
shaping the new ribs with a chisel,
re-varnishing the old soundboard,
re-stringing,

and thoroughly enjoying the 'new' sound.

I just write this down in a few seconds, but of course the actual work takes
much longer and the final result will only get better after having done this
procedure a lot of times.
Sometimes it is better to renew the old soundboard as well, depending on
quality and the physical circumstances of the old board.
It is not that much more work and if you know what you are doing it might
even be possible to improve the former situation.

Speed is here of the essence. If one could do this kind of repair in a
relatively short time (and that is possible) life in a workshop becomes even
more inspiring and rewarding.

I myself do not do this kind of work, I put my energy into regulation,
tuning and voicing.
To be able to do this kind of work, the craftsman would have to be born with
a plane in one hand and a chisel in the other.
When I was born, I had a tuning hammer in one hand and a voicing tool in the
other.
No wonder my mother used a milk bottle to feed me... (;>))


friendly greetings
from

Antares,

Amsterdam, Holland

"where music is, no harm can be"

visit my website at :  http://www.concertpianoservice.nl/