Thank you Mark for your followup reply to my questions. The information shared is helpful, but I will still look forward to seeing your pictures when you have time to send them. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Will From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of perrys piano restorations Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 2:50 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] new carved piano legs and wippens Hello Will, I am battling a small little problem called Bronchitis right now, but as soon as that is under control I will email some 3d pics. To help explain, lower bridge mass is not necessary to make a piano work, but the fact that my bridge cap is heavier and bridge core is lighter helps to balance things out. The bridge core is created with 1/8" layers of maple. It is not split, but rather the inner layers begin to have holes in them "strategically placed" . This is important, because voicing a piano begins in design. Weights and measures must transition gently, not abruptly.... rib spacing must not become awkward... string scale tensions have to be reasonably even and strong enough to convey the tone intended. the cap begins to increase width "strategically" so to speak.... but it's center is carved out to relieve friction and insure bearing points. Now "lighter is better".... lets examine this thought. The bridge has to convey vibration into the soundboard. Imagine for a minute that the vibrations created had to vibrate a bridge that was 6" thick, 4" tall, and solid maple.... Would the vibrations even make it to the soundboard? Next, imagine that the bridge was just 1/2" wide, and only 1/8" thick. Now your string speaks right to the board itself. This is how harpsichord makers see it. Their low tension strings have to speak inspite of their low tension. This happens with various design innovations. Most of these innovations the piano came to know in it's own design. The modern piano is quite a marvel with it's designers sometimes stumbling blindly about their inventions, and sometimes with the loss of much hair. Their is quite a connection for the instrument to be what it is today. Many smart people have gone before us. Anyway, the piano I have built is a unique sound, and has not been tuned since last summer. IT is still at a440, and sounds great. My shop has a wood stove, not the best climate controls, and yet that piano sits there in tune. While it is on my mind Will, I would like to tell you something important which I learned. A piano plate capo bar has to be very thick and dead so that it will not absorb the energy of the strings it holds. I learned it is not good enough to be strong enough to do the job. It has to exceed the need to vibrate at ALL. Anywho, have a nice day God Bless, Mark Perry _____ From: surfdog at metrocast.net To: pianotech at ptg.org Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 20:34:31 -0500 Subject: Re: [pianotech] new carved piano legs and wippens Hi Mark: Thank you for your interesting reply. I am grateful for your effort to describe the bridge, but some aspects of your design remain difficult to envision. Do you have photos or drawings that you would be willing to share with us? I am guessing others on the forum who are interested in piano design would enjoy seeing them too. It looks like the treble part of the bridge splits in two vertically, yes? That would account for lower mass in the treble because there is less material. However, I would ask why you believe that lower bridge mass would be desirable in the high treble. Will Truitt From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of perrys piano restorations Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 7:25 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: [pianotech] new carved piano legs and wippens Hey Will, Thank you for viewing the video. I wanted to develop a piano with as much potential for sound as possible with the available technology we have today. The instrument incorporates a lightweight plate and case, with some innovations to follow. The cantilever design in the high treble starts as follows. the bridge material begins to lighten gradually as it goes from the center of the piano soundboard to the highest point. This is acheived with holes in specific center glue-up pieces of laminated maple. The holes are spaced acordingly, and the bridge looses mass as it reaches the top. (this does not account for the cap, just the core.) The point at which the bridge glues down to the soundboard also changes. Most bridges bear down directly over the glue line. This is easy. Upright pianos have more soundboard area in the high end because the hammers strike from the other side of the string, and the soundboard and frame do not have to clear for strike. On this premise, the cantilever design alows me to put a wider cap, carve relieved in the center, and the glue line starts about 3/4" back from the front of the bridge in the high treble, and tapers down until it goes into a normal bridge about middle of the piano again. This alows the string to bear at it's correct speaking length, but releiving the glue down point from being stuck 1/2" away from the frame. the better the bridge can diaphragm, the cleaner the sound is in that high end. The bridge is not subject to roll, because the cantilever compensates with bearing off of the back side, and the overall shape of the bridge keeping it square to the glue joint. The other interesting yet not terribly important innovation, is that the keys have no center bushings. I made the keys out of spanish cedar.... dimensionally stable, and a nice aged look. The centers have inlaid walnut "bearings". To better explain, the walnut is pressure empregnated with silicone and resin to harden and lubricate for the life of the piano. It is not subject to thermal or humidity changes at the same rate as standard wood, as it is sealed througout. the wood also sets into the key 1/16 deep, so it cannot come un-glued or even crack like so many do. the fronts are bushed. Anywho, the plate is a stacked layered weldment of AHSS - advanced high strength steel, bonded with carbon, decorated with traditional compo, and nonblushing cyanoacrylic resins tested in salt water for over 75 years in direct sunlight. It looks like cast iron, but is about 1/2 the weight, and maintains the same strength as cast iron, with higher stiffness, and greater accuracy in temperature and climate changes. God Bless, Mark _____ From: surfdog at metrocast.net To: pianotech at ptg.org Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 05:55:34 -0500 Subject: Re: [pianotech] new carved piano legs and wippens Hi Mark: I visited your website and watched your video. Your woodworking and refinishing is truly exceptional. Clearly you are a craftsman of highly developed skills. You briefly touched on your patented offset cantilevered high treble bridge in the video. Would you be so kind as to share a bit more on the design - details of it and purpose? It looks very interesting. Will Truitt From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of perrys piano restorations Sent: Saturday, April 04, 2009 12:08 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] new carved piano legs and wippens Hello Everyone, I was thinking of gearing up my shop to glue up and carve seven or eight sets of Steinway Tulip Legs. I'm carving a set right now, and in the mode for cut millwork on more sets. Of course I can carve up anything you guys need, but it would make sense to make several of these sets. anybody interested in 3 legs and a lyre hand-carved in solid Mahogany for $2,500? www.carvedpianoparts.com <http://www.carvedpianoparts.com/> if you wish to take a look at them. Also, I have 5 new sets of wippens on the shelf for sale @ $500 per set I need to unload. Thanks for looking. God Bless, Mark p.s. while your on the web-site, check out the piano my shop is building from scratch right here in Virginia! 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