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SOUND MECHANISM REPAIR |
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Soundboard Repair
The soundboard is stripped from both sides and the top side
bleached. Not all boards can be effectively bleached using
gentle methods. We maintain that aggressive bleaching agents
harm the soundboard. That is why not all our repaired soundboards
are light in colour. Gradual drying at a mild temperature
(to protect glue joints of ribs and braces) to 6% lasts 7
to 14 days. The soundboard cracks are opened with a moulding
cutter to an appropriate width. The adjustable depth of the
blade enables a precise cut without damaging the ribs. Our
specially made shims correspond to the depth and the angle
of the cutter making it possible to fill out the crack right
through to the underside. Thus the shim and the soundboard
become a homogenous unit, and the possibility of only partly-filled
cracks is prevented.
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Installing
a New Soundboard
We install new soundboards and ribs made by the Ciresa company.
For each piano model, an individual jig is constructed for gluing
the ribs. The ribs are glued in a special press with a pressure
of 18 tons. The full uniformly applied pressure on all ribs
is reached after 12 seconds and maintained until the glue has
fully dried. |
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Spraying the
Iron Plate
Chemical incompatibility between old paint layers and new polyester
primer can result in cracks in the lacquer or the lacquer flaking
off with the old primer. In some old plates, despite using an
isolating primer, this can occur - sometimes appearing later
in a finished instrument. This is why we strip all layers of
lacquer and filler by sanding or sand-blasting. On this prepared
surface a polyester filler is applied, and top coats of hard
but flexible acrylic lacquer are sprayed. Agraffes and other
non-sprayed metal parts are polished. Three colours are used,
suitable for the following makes: Steinway, Bechstein and Bösendorfer.
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Welding the
Iron Plate
The method of repairing the iron plate depends on the cause
and the location of the crack. The welded parts are reinforced
with pieces of flat steel. In this grand piano with a repaired
plate, we have installed a new wrest plank as the thickness
of the reinforcements make it necessary to alter the position
of the wrest pins. |
Renewing the inscriptions on the iron
plate
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Fitting a new wrest plank
We replace several hundred wrest planks per year. Our highly
specialised craftsmen, the appropriate tools, precise drilling,
and tested wrest-plank material guarantee tuning stability. |
Adjusting the down-bearing before re-stringing
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Re-stringing with new
Fitting a new
treble Sound
mechanism
steel
wire
bridge cap
total repair
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