<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div></div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif:font-size:10pt"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Euphonious Thumpe <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">To:</span> </b> <joegarrett@earthlink.net>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] Soundboard Repair <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Mon, Dec 24, 2012 3:30:42 PM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><div>P.S. I've also implemented an extreme method of bowing out the board with pressure from behind that seems to work well: make a tracing of the bridge on Mylar(TM), then slide it behind the beams on the back of the piano against where the bridge would be on the other side (the soundboard buttons will guide you) and mark where the ribs cross. Then transfer the Mylar(TM) to a plank wide enough to accommodate the curve, and drill holes in it correspond with the rib-crossing marks that are large enough to accommodate the 3/8" pronged threaded inserts that are tapped into the plank from what will be the piano side. Then, screw the plank to the beams so that these inserts are above the rib/bridge intersections, and screw full-thread hex bolts in so they impinge on these points. (Put rubber bumpers on their ends, and make cauls for the ribs to keep the bolts rom shredding them.) Stop when you hear the first cracking sound. Additional boards (1"x2" oak) with inserts and bolts can be screwed to the piano back so their bolts impinge on the ribs in areas away from the bridge. Go all over it with a small, 1/4" drive ratchet tightening the hex heads, until cracking is heard, and until you feel that it's all jacked up as much as it safely can be. (Hint: it might be god to run some glue around the rim/case joint first, to keep rom popping the board out.) Put it all in a room with low humidity created ya dehumidifier and/or heaters, tap shims into the well-opened racks, finish the board, let cure and remove.<br /><br />Thumpe</div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica,;"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Joseph Garrett <joegarrett@earthlink.net>; <br> <b> <span style="">To:</span> </b> pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>; <br> <b> <span style="">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] Soundboard Repair <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Mon, Dec 24, 2012 6:26:51 AM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;">Roger said: <br>"Chuck,<br>I?m stepping out of my comfort zone to respond to your post ? a post that<br>may mislead new technicians who may be inclined to venture down the paths<br>of restoring 100 year old pianos. By simply filling the cracks with shims<br>and performing a static gluing of the panels to the ribs, your chances of<br>restoring a 100 year old soundboard to it?s original impedance character<br>are little to none.Your comment about a 1000% more ?vibrant? is misleading.<br>The stopgap repair certainly restored unity to the soundboard, but after<br>that, a piano with that much deterioration would have little to no tension<br>remaining within its composite structure. It defies the physics within the<br>soundboard to believe that a massive gluing of that nature restores any<br>rib-to-panel tension; tension that is necessary to the characteristics we<br>associate with good piano tone.<br> <br>When I was young and felt I knew everything about the make-up of the piano<br>I ventured into a massive static soundboard re-gluing job where every rib<br>along 75% of its length was detached from the panels. The end result was a<br>disaster. It was like listening to a ballpein hammer striking against a<br>cast iron frying pan ? all attack and no decay. I would urge technicians to<br>seriously weigh the restoration investment to the end result before<br>engaging in such a massive reconditioning. A good new upright piano can be<br>had for $6,000 to $7,000, and it would have a new bridge, a new pinblock<br>with 2/0 tuning pins, and an entirely new action, plus much more. Is it<br>worth our reputation to encourage our clients to invest in a 100 year old<br>piano with that level of restoration liability?"<br><br>Roger,<br>I completely disagree with you! Just because your venture into this arena<br>was a disasster, does not mean that this kind of work is folly! I have done<br>many such jobs, that continue to give more than stellar performance after<br>my "heroics" in similar situations. Although there are some aspects of<br>Chuck's soundboard "rejuvenation" that I would not do or condone, the work<br>was done with good craftsmanship for the most part. I strongly urge all to<br>not use "Gorilla" glue on any repair such as this. It is a weak glue and<br>inappropriate for this work, imo. Secondly, I would not Shellac a board.<br>Although there are those who think that was the finish of the time, it was<br>not! It was Varnish. As to wether or not his project will provide a<br>resonant musical instrument or not, is yet to be seen/heard. There was one<br>step that I would have added to the process: wedge the board into an<br>exaggerated "crown" before the drying process and shimming. Del's article<br>on the use of water thin epoxy in adding stiffness will most certainly give<br>you a highly vibrant soundboard. I have three such, done that would blow<br>the doors off of any of these so called .."good new upright piano can be<br>had for $6,000 to $7,000, and it would have a new bridge, a new pinblock<br>with 2/0 tuning pins, and an entirely new action, plus much more.", piano<br>shaped objects that you speak of. (most are major PSO's and POS imo.) Then,<br>there is the aesthetic beauty of this sort of piano that is not available,<br>for any price. That in/of itself is justification for such a project.<br>(Unless you like polyester, high gloss, butt ugly moden pianos!) I<br>personally, would encourage any new tech to learn these rejuvenation<br>techniques and use them to their full value.<br>Respectfully,<br>Joe<br><br><br>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<br>Captain of the Tool Police<br>Squares R I<br><br></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>