[pianotech] mending keybed front edge

[Dean May]

Great idea from Ron on using planks and clamps to maintain vertical
alignment. 

You probably won't get a real good fit so I would recommend avoiding regular
wood glue and use an epoxy. Epoxies are more forgiving of gaps. Just be sure
to get one with plenty of open time. 

I would drill on an angle about 1 inch from the crack so the bit comes out
half way into the crack, then use a syringe to inject the epoxy into the
middle of the crack. Choose a bit size to give you a hole that the syringe
will fit tightly into. You don't need to put a needle on the syringe, just
stick the nub into hole. This will get plenty of glue where you need it.
Just do a series of holes about every 4-6 inches down the crack. It will
make a mess so use plenty of newspaper on the floor. 

Instead of using the long clamps as Ron suggested I would probably just use
10 or so long drywall screws. Pre drill a clearance hole in the front piece
and then use the drywall screws to pull it together and hold it after
injecting the glue. 

I would definitely add the wooden dowels as Ron suggests. If you've got a
biscuit joiner you could also add some biscuits, but only if you are OCD
like most posters here. :-)

I'd probably do this on the tilter with the piano tipped back until it
contacts the first set of wheels on the tilter, putting the piano at about a
60 degree angle- it is pretty stable there. This gives you really good
access to the keybed area without having to stoop over or kneel down. 

Dean

Dean W May                (812) 235-5272

PianoRebuilders.com    (888) DEAN-MAY

Terre Haute IN 47802



-----Original Message-----
From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Ron Nossaman
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 2:14 PM
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [pianotech] mending keybed front edge

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