Steinway D #411101 Setting the Bearing

Setting the bearing on a new sound board is one of the most demanding steps in the rebuilding process. An over simplified description of setting the bearing is this: adjusting the height of the bridge caps to a height that causes the strings on the strung piano to cause downbearing on the soundboard. It is important to have enough, but not too much. It is also determinded to some extent by the amount of crown in the board. So how do I accomplish this?

The bridge caps are intentionally made thicker than the originals so that there is extra material to remove to establish the correct bearing, which also establishes the thickness of the bridge. This varies from location to location on the bridge. A notch is cut in the cap to the desired height with the use of a string and a saw. This is done at about 10-12 spots on the bridge. The bridges are then removed and the tops planed to the height of the notches cut in the bridge cap.

Bridge cap planed and sanded and ready for patterns to mark out bridge for notching and pinning.