tooling up for soundboard replacement

[Overs Pianos]

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>Hi list,
>   Thanks for all the great tips,and pictures on the soundboard install.I got
>the plate out today,and will start taking out the board tomorrow.This will be
>the first board I have ever removed,and replaced.I have to get the board
>out,leaving the dowels in place,or so I am told.
>Best,
>Hazen Bananister

Hazen,

The sound board removal operation won't be easy if you leave the 
original dowels in place. We drill the dowels down to below the 
panel/inner rim joint before removing the board, and plug the holes 
in the inner rim prior to installing the new board.

Furthermore, as Andrew Remillard mentioned in his post, a much better 
solution than using dowels again would be to re-install the plate 
using the Baldwin plate mounting system (which is by far the best 
system). We use this system for our own 225 piano, using 7/16" thread 
stock. It isn't easy finding machine bolts which are 150 mm long and 
threaded all the way to the head, so we get around the problem by 
using Booker rod (threaded lengths of rod which are supplied in 
lengths of 36" or 1 metre). We fit dome nuts to 150 mm cut lengths of 
rod to form the 'bolt' assembly that we require, securing the dome 
nut with Loctite 680 (which is the strongest grade). The washers 
under our bolts are custom turned from free machining brass which is 
chrome plated (the home page image on our website shows the dome nuts 
and washers fitted to piano no. 3 - click on the small image to see a 
full screen version). The hole in the plate, visible at the left edge 
of the image, is for hexagon wrench access to the cap screw screw 
underneath the plate (which is fitted into the inner rim). The cap 
screw is for setting the plate height, before fitting the perimeter 
bolts. For those who are interested in seeing the enlarged image 
directly, go to;

http://overspianos.com.au/bkcl.html     (image size 136K)

When fitting the plate to the piano, we run a thread into the rim to 
full depth to 'cut a thread' into the inner rim before fitting the 
dome-nut bolts, so that we don't damage the finish on the chromed 
dome nut with excessive torque during installation.

The only further qualification I'd like to add Hazen is that if the 
piano you are rebuilding is owned by a client, get their permission 
for incorporating any changes which are not original. Steinway can 
get pretty nasty when it comes to attacking technicians for making 
changes to their original designs.

They've threatened us in the past on two occasions.

Getting back to your sound board removal task, it might also help if 
you cut away (using a chisel) the panel to outer rim glue joint 
before trying to knock out the board. Glue joints aren't very strong 
in tension but in sheer they are amazing. The board should 
practically fall out once you get rid of the joint between the outer 
rim and panel and the dowels.

I prefer to get the sound board out intact, because it makes a good 
template for cutting out the new panel, and we also use it (after 
removing the original bridges and ribs) as a jig for locating the new 
ribs on the vacuum press.

Best,
Ron O.
-- 
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
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Web http://overspianos.com.au
mailto:info@overspianos.com.au
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