The Mother of all Bellyrails

[Delwin D Fandrich]

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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Farrell=20
  To: Pianotech=20
  Sent: February 09, 2003 5:21 AM
  Subject: Re: The Mother of all Bellyrails


  I'm trying as hard as I can to picture this (semi-floating board), but =
don't think I'm there yet. This piano has an inner rim? Rather than the =
board being glued to the inner rim, there is a liner - perhaps much like =
an upright liner? Is this liner continuously glued to the inner rim? Or =
how is the liner attached to the case? Then the board is attached to the =
liner, but only at 300 to 400 mm intervals. The blocks you describe are =
clear in the picture, and they appear to be on the top side of the =
board. So they are simply like wooden washers for the screws that hold =
the board to the liner? So the board is in direct contact with the =
liner? In the liner top surface in one contiguous plane? If so, is not =
the board glued to the liner? Would this then make the board =
non-floating (much like a modern board mount, only having a liner =
between inner rim and board)? Or does the liner have little prominent =
(raised) areas at each block location, which would then make the =
soundboard floating, but only attached at the block locations.


As I said, semi-floating...see below. This is the treble inner rim. =
There is a ledge running just inside the outer rim. The actual =
soundboard liner (still attached to the soundboard) was attached only to =
the pads you see standing up on the ledge. There was a 2 to 3 mm gap =
between the edge of the soundboard and the outer rim all the way around =
the board. This pad arrangements also extends all the way around the =
board, including across the bellyrail. Even though the plate casting =
extended over the bellyrail and the front edge of the soundboard, it =
does not make contact with the soundboard.




  So you are describing a .282" (or maybe .283" or whatever would allow =
free rotation but little side play) hole drilled in the plate for a =
.282" #2 pin - and of course, the block drilled with whatever slightly =
smaller sized bit that would yield appropriate torque? Wow! What a =
system! An open-faced pinblock with, instead of a veneer of fancy burl =
walnut, a 1/4" or so veneer of iron! Why the heck not? The would get you =
way past the Baldwin & Steinway quandary of no plate bushings, what =
about all these jobs where some pins lean forward and rub on the plate, =
the unsupported extra 1/4" of tuning pin, etc.

More like about 3/8" of iron -- but who's counting....

  I take it the inner rim is of sawn timbers? What is the outer rim made =
of to get those squared-off corners? Any idea when this beastie was =
made? 1880s or earlier from the 85 notes, but maybe much earlier from =
the primitive action? This is perhaps one of the very early full plates =
(where the plate fully covers the pinblock with the web?

The outer rim is laminated maple. Probably. It is simply butt jointed at =
the corners.

I do not know when the piano was built. I'm assuming mid- 1870s to =
1880s. I've not yet found any telling dates.

Del

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