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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 5:08 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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First name: Mike
Last Name: O'Melia
City: Huntsville
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Seems kind of quiet around here. I can only assume most of you are BUSY building. Take a break and post some progress pictures.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 5:28 pm 
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Location: Cobourg ON
First name: Steve
Last Name: Denvir
City: Baltimore
State: ON
Zip/Postal Code: K0K 1C0
Country: Canada
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Sadly, I'm on hold for a bit. Waiting on cataract surgery.

But I can't begin to tell you how heartened I've been by the responses from my customers. No ich or complaining and no requests for deposits to be returned (though I've offered).

Nothing but support, encouragement, and pretty remarkable displays of patience.

What a genuinely great bunch of people I'm dealing with.

Steve



These users thanked the author JSDenvir for the post: Imbler (Sun Aug 20, 2017 7:50 pm)
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 6:39 pm 
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Cocobolo
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First name: john
Last Name: shelton
City: Alsea
State: Oregon
Zip/Postal Code: 97324
Country: usa
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JSDenvir wrote:
Sadly, I'm on hold for a bit. Waiting on cataract surgery.

Steve

I went through that a few years ago and I can tell you that having someone come at your eye with knife is rather disquieting to say the least; but having great eyesight was worth every second of discomfort. I asked the surgeon to talk me through the procedure on the second eye and it made the experience much more endurable. It's been at least 5 years and I can still see like a teenager.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 6:43 pm 
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I'm working on my Project EVS from JoeWoodworker, but the real project is a piano restoration that I started two weeks ago. An upright Ludwig from 1905. I'm restoring the keyboard, action, re-stringing, and replacing the hammers before refinishing it. I just finishing bleaching the ivory keys today. After this I have two live edge tables on deck, and then back to guitar work.

So far the biggest surprise has been that you don't just order piano strings---you have them specially made. And it's best if you send your existing strings in as a pattern. The turn-around is about two weeks.

Most of the action shots are in my Facebook album here, but here's a shot of it from the morning we received it.


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These users thanked the author James Orr for the post: Johny (Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:43 pm)
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 7:49 pm 
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Cocobolo
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First name: john
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Wow!, you're actually doing a piano restoration? I've been considering learning how to tune my piano (2006 Yamaha grand) but everyone in the business keeps telling me "don't try it, you'll just screw it up". I suspect my 75 year old ears are still good enough to do it but I just haven't gathered the nerve to begin the process.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:24 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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First name: Mike
Last Name: O'Melia
City: Huntsville
State: Alabama
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Wow. There is so much amazing wood in old pianos. Looks like fun to me.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:49 pm 
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Here's one I just finished about 2 weeks ago.
Pretty standard fare.
EIR - back & sides
Spruce - top
Mahogany - neck
French polished
Yada yada yada...
It came out really sweet.

Attachment:
braced top small.jpg

Attachment:
ML headstock complete small.jpg

Attachment:
ML front view completed.jpg


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These users thanked the author Jim Watts for the post: bftobin (Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:22 am)
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:37 pm 
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Koa
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Location: Durango CO
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James Orr wrote:
I'm working on my Project EVS from JoeWoodworker, but the real project is a piano restoration that I started two weeks ago. An upright Ludwig from 1905. I'm restoring the keyboard, action, re-stringing, and replacing the hammers before refinishing it. I just finishing bleaching the ivory keys today. After this I have two live edge tables on deck, and then back to guitar work.

So far the biggest surprise has been that you don't just order piano strings---you have them specially made. And it's best if you send your existing strings in as a pattern. The turn-around is about two weeks.

Most of the action shots are in my Facebook album here, but here's a shot of it from the morning we received it.


WOW!
Your re- stringing it completely!? Have you ever done that before?
I simply can't get my mind around the size of that wrestling match.
Impressive.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:21 pm 
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Good luck, Steve.

A classical build, based on the Torres SE114 Lutz/EIR. This particular Torres is sort of the D-28 of the classical world, you might say. Top thickness called for in the plan was startling, but it sounds great.

Attachment:
IMG_9462.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_9544.jpg


Attachment:
IMG_9541.jpg


BTW, Jim, what's your take on the advantage of the open bars?

Pat


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 3:35 am 
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Level and final coat to go.
Oh, and remind me not to use fish glue for bindings with water based again .... gaah


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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 7:25 am 
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Colin North wrote:
Oh, and remind me not to use fish glue for bindings with water based again .... gaah
What happened?!

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 7:31 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2007 5:07 pm
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Location: Singapore
First name: Sen
Last Name: Goh
Country: Singapore
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Assembly in progress:
Spruce Maple Simplicio 8 fan bracing.

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 7:36 am 
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Koa
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Location: Litchfield MI
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Oh, and remind me not to use fish glue for bindings with water based again ...


Not sure what happened here but being an old timer I know that LePages wood glue (fish glue) was notorious for causing permenant gray and brown stains especially in the end grain.

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Last edited by kencierp on Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:10 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:03 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:21 pm
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Location: Alexandria MN
Have an archie ready to set up. The Adi top had a little more runout that I expected.

Waiting on a custom tailpiece a machine shop is making. I plan to try one of those DeArmond Rhythm Chief reproductions that Guild is making. Have heard good things about them.

Anyone tried them?


Image

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:30 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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For those restoring or wanting to learn how to tune pianos the Arthur A. Reblitz book is a good source of information.
You can be tone deaf and tune a piano - you listen for the "beats" rather than the pitches. Because of string stiffness the trebles are tuned "sharp" relative to the basses (the upper partials of the basses go sharp because of string stiffness) A grand piano with it's long and less stiff strings has upper partials that don't go as sharp as those of a short stringed spinet, and that is why they can't be played in tune together.
Someone gave me a square grand from the mid 1800's with a BRW veneered case. It was too nice to see it go to the dump like so many pianos do these days. It's on my list of projects (that my kids will have to deal with when I croak- laughing6-hehe ).


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:10 am 
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I carved these two electric bodies with nothing but the chisel you see here. Real "Old World Craftsmanship".
The CNC you see partially in the photo has absolutely nothing to do with these. Honest.

Okay, I might be fibbing a bit there.

;)


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 10:32 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Location: Central PA
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here is one I just finished Cuban Mahogany forward shifted all Hide glue


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 11:51 am 
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pat macaluso wrote:
Colin North wrote:
Oh, and remind me not to use fish glue for bindings with water based again .... gaah
What happened?!

Pat (and Ken) because I sanded back to the wood after epoxy, there seemed to be a tiny sliver of glue joint exposed on the sides virtually all round the bindings.
When I sprayed the WB finish, the exposed fish glue re-dissolved and probably mixed a bit with the finish, so I could see this matt pinstripe round the binding edge.
Didn't have the problem on the soundboard side of the binding, probably because I fitted it really tight with rubber bands.
Attachment:
DSCN0766.JPG

But probably due to the nature/shape of my routed binding ledge, even relieving the inside edge of the binding, there seemed to be a tiny sliver exposed.
Took several coats of finish and some superglue to cure the problem.


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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.



These users thanked the author Colin North for the post (total 2): Pmaj7 (Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:31 am) • SteveG (Sun Aug 20, 2017 12:27 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 12:45 pm 
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jshelton wrote:
Wow!, you're actually doing a piano restoration? I've been considering learning how to tune my piano (2006 Yamaha grand) but everyone in the business keeps telling me "don't try it, you'll just screw it up". I suspect my 75 year old ears are still good enough to do it but I just haven't gathered the nerve to begin the process.


That's how most people respond when we say we want to make our own guitars, too. :) There are some really good videos on YouTube. It seems to be a matter of patience. There are 88 keys, and almost all of them have two to three strings. Piano techs are certainly skilled, but you have a skill set that puts it within reach with just a bit of time spent researching. And if you mess it up, they can come fix it!

Mike O'Melia wrote:
Wow. There is so much amazing wood in old pianos. Looks like fun to me.


When I saw the figured mahogany veneer on the case I thought, "they wouldn't just put that on anything." We actually have a Steinway dealer a mile from our condo and went to a presentation they gave last night on what goes into building Steinways. It was awe-inspiring. They had one grand in the showroom covered in EIR veneery, and another covered in Macassar Ebony. The Macassar seemed to have a gravitational pull to my wife. She walked over, saw the price, and said, "Of course it would have to be the most expensive one here."

david farmer wrote:
WOW!
Your re- stringing it completely!? Have you ever done that before? I simply can't get my mind around the size of that wrestling match. Impressive.


I'd never so much as opened one up before we brought it home two weeks ago. The book I picked up has good instructions though, and there are a few videos on YouTube. There are around 40,000 lbs. of pressure on the plate, so it's a matter of strategically releasing tension, coiling the new strings around the tuning peg, hammering them in, and bringing it back up.


Last edited by James Orr on Sun Aug 20, 2017 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 1:02 pm 
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First name: Michael
Last Name: Giltzow
City: Boise
State: Idaho
Zip/Postal Code: 83709
Country: usa
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Status: Semi-pro
Finished an L-00 style : Mango back & sides, Engelmann top, Bloodwood trim

Image

Image

Image

Water based KTM SV finish and fish glue for bindings - have not had the problems you did, Colin, will watch for those in the future

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These users thanked the author giltzow for the post: Bryan Bear (Wed Sep 06, 2017 8:04 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 2:40 pm 
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Love the "Islands" theme on your L-00!

Pat

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These users thanked the author Pat Foster for the post: giltzow (Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:38 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 7:47 pm 
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Yeah, that OO is sweet!

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Only badly."



These users thanked the author Don Williams for the post: giltzow (Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:38 pm)
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:24 pm 
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Location: Austin, Texas
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Waiting for humidity and temperature to go down.
Redwood veneer on Mahogany.
Dan


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:20 am 
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Location: Miami, FL
First name: Michael
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Zip/Postal Code: 33183
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Photobucket did it's thing and deleted all my posted pics on all sites from forever as seen here

viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=44834

I don't know how to post here now. Don't want to attach a pic unless that is the only way and not a financial drag on the site. I am building 2 harp guitars and a ziricote dred. Don't know if this problem has already been addressed here. If so, please direct me.

Thanks, Michael


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:43 am 
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Took me a couple of weeks to take a couple thousand photos off $'bucket. They kept trying to block my removing photos by crashing my album every time I removed a page not to mention removing almost every photo I've ever posted on any guitar or mandolin site.
No, not building anything, the two remaining guitars are over at St. Paul Guitar Repair for completion by Ron and Michelle. [:Y:]

https://stpaulguitarrepair.com/


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