Increasing Crown

[Overs Pianos]

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Hello all (and Dale, who I've CC'd since he could be off list at present)

A re-crowning exercise.

A local colleague, David Kinney, is currently=20
rebuilding a B=F6sendorfer (late-ish model 200,=20
about 20 year old example I think). The sound=20
board was collapsed but otherwise without any=20
visible panel defects. As an exercise in sound=20
board re-crowning, he commissioned us to build=20
him a set of crowned sitka ribs for fitting in=20
between the originals. We made them 30 mm high in=20
the middle by 15 mm wide, so as to maximise the=20
added stiffness without adding too much weight to=20
the board.  We made them only long enough to=20
match the un-feathered lengths of the adjacent=20
original ribs

I understand that the result is very successful.=20
After doing the usual total internal refinish he=20
has reset the down bearing throughout, which=20
required a considerable packing height for most=20
string sections. He says that about 50% of the=20
unstrung downbearing angle sunk out once the=20
piano was pulled to pitch, which is about on par=20
with new factory boards. I haven't heard the=20
piano yet as he is still doing the action. It'll=20
be interesting to hear it once its up and running.

Ron O.


An excellent post Terry,

At 8:16 AM -0500 16/3/05, Terry wrote:
>
>Oh I've got pretty thick skin. I actually saved=20
>that post - I felt like maybe it was a statement=20
>that I've finally arrived! I had never been=20
>accused of that before! I've never thought=20
>anything is below me, I still work on spinets -=20
>but there are definitely things that I am=20
>finding less satisfying (i.e. spinets and=20
>band-aiding-to-death old worn-out uprights).
>
>Regarding old upright, my thoughts are really=20
>less about patching up a soundboard and more=20
>about the general condition of the entire beast.=20
>What good is it going to do to improve a=20
>soundboard on one of these=20
>great-a-hundred-years-ago uprights when the=20
>hammers are nubs and don't all hit the right=20
>strings, all the action centers are loose, the=20
>bridge is cracked, the hammer butts are worn=20
>through, the pinblock is shot, the keys are all=20
>wiggley, action parts fly off while tuning,=20
>strings don't render worth a hoot, it's plagued=20
>with false beats, etc. The soundboard is the=20
>least of that piano's problems. Who cares if it=20
>has lost its crown? Replacing keytops and=20
>rebushing keys would likely do more to improve=20
>most old uprights than farting around with the=20
>soundboard - but even then, you still have all=20
>the other things. Sorry to say, but I often find=20
>myself recommending to old upright owners that=20
>they would be much better off finding a=20
>(cough-choke) "nice" 20-year-old Kimball console=20
>for $500 or $600 than trying to patch up the old=20
>upright. The quality old upright, IMHO, simply=20
>does not need $500 worth of band-aids, it needs=20
>$20K of remanufacturing.
>
>And as far as "I think Terry's statement was=20
>informative of his position on the subject, how=20
>else to express it?" goes - that cuts to the=20
>heart of the matter - how else to express it? I=20
>really think folks need to lighten up a bit.=20
>Folks state opinions on this list. They share=20
>the approach they take to address various=20
>situations. It doesn't mean they are saying that=20
>any other approach is bad. We just had a thread=20
>about action center cloth - some like the Renner=20
>pre-glued stuff - someone posted that the plain=20
>cloth works well. Is that guy stupid because he=20
>doesn't use the same cloth as me? I don't think=20
>so. Do I think it is ridiculous to take the time=20
>to put two dabs of glue on the cloth for each=20
>flange? Well, actually I do think it's=20
>ridiculous - but that's just me - at the same=20
>time, I also know that guy may even do it that=20
>way and still be faster than me and his bushings=20
>are great. Nothing wrong with ten techs doing=20
>something ten different ways. I guess that's=20
>what I'm trying to say here - when you read=20
>someone's statement about how they do something=20
>or what they would do or not do, just realize=20
>that most of the time that's all they are saying=20
>- a statement about what they do - they are not=20
>(usually) saying that you shouldn't do it some=20
>other way!
>
>As far as participating on this list goes - I'll=20
>have to get a whole lot smarter than I am now to=20
>ever get offended. When someone suggests that=20
>something I said was stupid or wrong or bad, I=20
>figure they are probably right (.....not!). So=20
>how could I get upset? I think I can understand=20
>how someone with a lot of knowledge and=20
>experience (obviously, not me) can get=20
>frustrated with people constantly suggesting=20
>that their whole approach to piano work is=20
>baseless. As one researches and experiments and=20
>observes over many years, they really can't=20
>avoid forming some pretty firm opinions on how=20
>things work and what works and what doesn't. And=20
>sure, they will tend to state maybe somewhat=20
>forcefully what their opinions are (and maybe=20
>even state it as fact - so what? - it is to them=20
>- hey, some people even make the bold statement=20
>that the theory of evolution is a fact!). But=20
>why some find the need to challenge these=20
>opinions, I don't know. If a response is to=20
>better understand the subject matter, that is=20
>one thing, but it seems it is sometimes to=20
>simply tell the other person they are wrong -=20
>and such an approach can only end up being=20
>divisive and argumentative.
>
>Enough gibberish for now.
>
>Terry Farrell


-- 
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
_______________________

Web http://overspianos.com.au
mailto:ron@overspianos.com.au
_______________________
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