Steinway A 280251

I have recently begun a new project. This will be a total restoration. The first step is to remove all case parts, and then the strings, and finally the soundboard, bridges and pinblock. Then the real work begins.

Case parts are removed, measurements are taken and recorded.

Strings removed

Cast iron plate removed with winch.

Sounding Board removed. It literally has to be broken out of the piano. It will be reconstructed to use as a pattern for the new board.

Bridges are removed from sounding board. The bridges will be recapped, using the original bridge bodies.

Pinblock removed. The original is glued and doweled into the case. Not an easy job to remove.

Steinway S 334968 Completed

The Steinway returned from the refinishers several weeks ago. I have been working hard to get the project completed before Christmas. Today was to be a snowy day, so I canceled my tunings for the day and instead have been in the shop, and have completed the project.

Piano being strung after returning from Refinisher

Completed!

Steinway S Final Soundboard Work

Completed bridges installed on new soundboard.

Radius' cut on rib tops.

Ribs sanded

Final finish applied to soundboard bottom.

Completed soundboard glued into piano rim. Tomorrow I will add trim pieces to the top of the board, and apply the final finish. The piano will then be ready to send to the refinisher.

Steinway S 334968 Bridge Work

A lot of time has been spent recapping the bridges. First the old tops of the bridge are cut off, and new caps are clues to the original bridge body. Then the bridges must be aet to their proper height. This is called setting the bearing. Then the new caps must be planed to their proper thickness, and finally the notches and pins need to be added.

New Bridge Caps Installed

Setting Bearing

Planing Bridge tops

Notching Bridge Caps

Completed Bridges, Ready to Glue Onto Soundboard.

Steinway S 334968 Soundboard pressed

Steinway S #334968 Soundboard Ribs

The soundboard ribs are notched into the shelf of the rim where the completed soundboard will be glued. I take great care in individually fitting each rib to the piano rim shelf. The ribs are also dimensioned to the proper width and thickness. When this is completed, they are indexed and prepared for gluing onto the spruce panel.

Steinway S #334968 A Soundboard is Born

A new soundboard begins with 13-18 pieces of quarter sawn Sitka Spruce from North West USA. These thin strips of wood begin at aprox. 1/2" thickness, and need to be edge glued to form a sheet of spruce that will become a soundboard.I start with gluing up 2-3 pieces that become about 12" in width. I end up with about 5-6 of these pieces.

After the glue has cured, I plane these to the desired end thickness, in this case 5/16". These 12" pieces are edge glued together until the full sheet is completed.

Then, the old soundboard is used as a pattern to select the proper grain angle, and an outline is traced so that the new board can be cut to it's shape. The fresh glue joints are sanded to remove any squeeze out and to smooth any slight unevenness. A new soundboard panel has been created.