Rebuilding a Grand Piano
Webb Young & his 1910 Hardman Concert Grand
Pulling plate w/engine hoist to expose soundboard for crack repair
Bridge pin resetting
Rough trimming of shims with chisel
Many spruce shims were necessary
Routering board w/clamped on guides
Routered cracks prepared for shims
New brass rib screws installed
Spruce soundboard shims glued into routered-out cracks
Sanding soundboard smooth
Rehydrating dry soundboard with bowls of water, electric humidifier, & tarp(for days)
Sealing soundboard
Checking repaired soundboard for resonance w/stethoscope & tuning fork
Plate back in and ready for setting tuning pins and strings
Sanding down tuning pin bushing to fit hole
Setting tuning pin bushings
Reaming pin block to fit oversized tuning pins
Setting tuning pins
Driving pins
All new bushings in
Attaching strings to tuning pins
Tightening pin and plucking string
Beginning the restringing process
Piano tech tools
Piano plate cast w/manufacturer & date
Different gauge spring steel comes in different rolls
Finished hitch pin loop
Stringing progress: 10 down, 225 to go
Down bearing gauge
Checking down-bearing string-pressure on bridge which is connected to
sounding board. String tension is adjustable at pin block.
Dampers
Restoring dampers w/new felts
A block of restored dampers w/new felts
Piano action out
Working on piano action
Steaming & removing old chipped ivory key-tops
Filing new plastic key-top to fit
New plastic key-top glued & clamped
Refinishing black keys w/epoxy paint
Working on all new key-tops
Inner Beauty of a Piano
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Piano Surfing
Minor adjustment
"Pretty" & "Peaches"
Eric
