Restoration of a Steinway Duo-Art Reproducing Grand for the Schlieter Family
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89) 
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89) The plate is being dropped into the piano. First the pin block is laid
loosely in place. Then the plate is dropped down into the piano and located.
Then the plate is screwed to the rim and to the pin block. Next, a special gauge is
inserted under the plate and located on guide marks that had been placed on the keybed
before the plate was originally removed. This gauge is used to get the plate back to
the exact same height in which it was originally set. In this case, it was found
that the glue ledges that the pin block sits on needed to be about 1/16"
higher. So maple shims were cut, the plate and pin block were raised and these shims
were put in place. Once it was determined exactly what amount of shim was needed to
get everything correct, the plate was raised slightly, the pin block pulled back away from
its glue joints and all glue surfaces were coated with urethane glue. Hide glue is
the other type of glue that would be appropriate in this situation. I don't like to
use aliphatic resin glue for this job (also known as carpenters wood glue) because it is a
little too rubbery. I prefer a glue that is very firm when it dries. Hide glue
and urethane glue both do this. If there were any doubt as to whether all the
original hide glue had been removed or not, then hide glue would have been used again.
However, in this situation, I'm positive that all the original glue was removed.
Urethane glue has the added benefit of chemically swelling during the curing
process. This glue expands inside the joint and forcibly drives itself into the
wood. It is an excellent glue, very waterproof, very durable and strong. Yet,
it will be excellent for future rebuilding. It will come back off the piano just as
well as hide glue would have decades from now when another rebuild is called for.
90) After all the glue surfaces are coated, the plate is lowered again. The
pin block is then screwed to the plate and the plate screwed into the rim. Finally,
after it is certain that the block and plate are together as one, the clamps are added to
force the pin block into the glue ledge and the stretcher board into the front edge of the
block.
91) The restored plate is now installed.
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92) The key bushings are being soaked out of the keys in preparation for rebushing.
The keys will then receive new key tops and the ebonies will be refinished.
Also, the brass capstan screws in all the keys were polished.
93) This picture shows a comparison of the color that the piano was when it arrived
at the shop and what color it is now.
94) Here, the action is being restored. The hammer shanks were repined, the
knuckles were bolstered and reshaped, the hammers were removed (except the guide hammers)
and the shanks dressed for new hammers. In addition, the whippens were lubricated as
well as the jacks. The let-off buttons were replaced with new felt that had been
pre-compressed for optimum stability. Finally, the shanks were reinstalled and
traveled so that they will swing the hammers in an exactly square stroke for maximum
power.
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97) 
95) The ebonies have been sanded thoroughly with 320 grit sand paper and then
cleaned. Next, they were sprayed with fresh hard wearing lacquer. Finally,
they were sanded again and polished until they looked and felt perfect.
96) The dampers are having their felts soaked off and all the old glue scraped away.
Then the wires were polished.
97) Here are the finished ebonies.
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100) 
98) Rebushing the damper guide rails. These rails must be bushed perfectly for
the dampers to work smoothly, damp properly and operate silently. If there is too
much slop in the bushings, the dampers will knock. If there isn't enough, the
dampers could become sluggish during damp weather. These particular rails were
bushed with a single layer of thick felt. I didn't have the appropriate thickness of
felt in stock so more felt was ordered. Sadly, when the company shipped the felt,
they shipped the wrong thickness, leaving me without what I needed again. So,
instead of delaying the work once again, I decided to bush these rails after the fashion
of most Steinway damper rails. The Steinway M is the ordinary grand piano equivalent
to this piano (an XR.) In the M, the guide rails are bushed with two layers of felt.
You can see, in this picture, that there are two sizes of clamping cauls inserted
into the rails. That is because I drilled out the guide holes to a slightly larger
size and then double bushed them like most other Steinways are bushed. The first
layer was clamped using the larger cauls and the second layer with the smaller ones.
The smaller cauls were calculated for size to be just enough larger than the damper
wires to allow for the exact correct fit.
99) The front key punchings were moth eaten so the action is receiving new Renner
front punchings. I like to use the Renner punchings on pianos like this one because
they are extra large in diameter like the originals. Most suppliers don't carry
punchings as large as these.
100) The new keytops are in place and looking fantastic.
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106) 
101) The angled picture was taken to try and show how beautifully reflective and
smooth the freshly refinished ebonies are.
102 - 104) Stringing the piano.
105) In this picture, the piano has been lowered from the rebuilding cart back onto
its legs. This is necessary in order to regulate the action. The cart flexes
the keybed upwards slightly spoiling any chance of a correct regulation. In this
photo, the keys are being leveled.
106) Here you can see the action being regulated. In this particular picture,
the repetition springs are being regulated.
107) 
108) 
107) In this picture the hammer level, let off and hammer dip are being
regulated. A special indicator that runs on a specially constructed device
containing a straight edge is used to tell me when the dimension I'm setting is
correct. The magnifying glass makes it easier to see tiny variations in the pointer
without squinting to see.
108) Rebushing the pedal guides.
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