C.Lose Square Piano

Richard Brekne Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no
Thu, 27 Nov 2003 20:17:53 +0100


Well hjell thar Joe :).... The soundboard came out yesterday... mostly
anyways... its still soaking on the pinblock end. I couldnt get in there today
as I had a trip out east for an all day tuning day. But tommorrow I expect to
just lift the remaining section out. Which brings me to a couple questions I'd
like your advice on if you dont mind.

Ribbing on these seems on the surface of things like they were thinking some
kind of web shaped lattice work would support whatever load there was. As far as
what I hear from most folks,,, crowning was minimal, if even done at all. So
what I am thinking is whether or not there is a good reason to hold onto the
ribs that go along the grain ?  Just what good do they do ... both structually
and acoustically ?

I suppose I will end up copying the pattern this time around, but I think I will
make a couple machine crowned ribs for the large area of the panel where the
bridge is. These things seem to always collapse at the same spot.... bass area
of the bridge caves down.

I suppose I could dry out the old panel and heat flatten it before regluing the
ribs back on... and form some kind of compression support. Piano building
tradition here in Bergens past has it that panels are dried out inside during
the winter so as to match the lowest normal annual dry period. That equates to
about 20 - 25 % RH. The stated reasoning is to prevent cracking, and
interestingly enough they used machine crowned ribs.... but thats another story
:)

Anyways.. what do you think ? I could by the last remaining Jacob Knudsen
soundboard... an unribbed panel intended for their small uprights thats been
standing on end since 1972... talk about seasoning !! :). But its a bit thicker
so i'd have to have it planed down..

Thoughts ?

More pics tommorrow.

btw.. best I can tell this is from 1812.

Cheers
RicB


Joseph Garrett wrote:

> RicB,
> Finally got access to the whole archive(s). That's definately a Square piano
> of the early 1800's. Very much like the 1805 Muzio Clementi, I have the
> privilege to work on. From a purist's point of view, it would be best to
> clean the board, possibly re-rib/crown it, etc. I've not had the opportunity
> to put a new board in one of these thingees, but it would be interesting,
> from the stand-point of "truly" hearing what the "new" instrument,
> "probably" sounded like! As for the wire size(s), that's a new one, on me,
> and I'm sorry I can't be of much help. As it is European, I suspect
> clarification will have to come from European sources. Good luck and keep me
> posted, as I am muchly interested in your project!
> Very Best Regards,
> Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)
> Captain, Tool Police
> Squares Are I
>
> _______________________________________________
> pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives

--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
UiB, Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html
http://www.hf.uib.no/grieg/personer/cv_RB.html



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