[pianotech] mending keybed front edge

[Ron Nossaman]

J Patrick Draine wrote:
> Hi Talented Shop Heads,
> A client screwed up when attempting a do-it-herself piano move, and as 
> it flipped forward in her trailer, the legs tore up the front edge of 
> the keybed. What is the best way (type of clamping, mainly) to put it 
> back together? Preferred glue? Is it stupid of me to plan on doing this 
> without removing the entire keybed (although I will of course remove the 
> action & keyframe)?

It might well be stupid to try to do it with the key bed in 
place, but I'd try that first with, as you say, the key frame 
removed. Do you have some F clamps long enough to reach from 
back to front of the key bed? I'd sandwich the thing top and 
bottom with clamps and planks to maintain vertical alignment, 
and dry clamp it together to see if it will go back where it 
was. If not, I'd pull the key bed out, and finish breaking it 
full length to clean out the splinters so it will go back 
together. That may prove to be the best way anyway, since it 
makes it easier to get glue into all areas of the break. After 
gluing, I think I'd put a couple of 1/2" maple or birch dowels 
in each end, bridging the break, for whatever reinforcement 
they might offer. Or you could make an entirely new key bed 
out of stacked Baltic Birch plywood, but that's sort of drastic.

It's not a real tough fix, and is different enough from the 
day to day stuff that it should be kind of fun.
Ron N