Cleave
Well-known member
"Well, we're not building pianos..."
Ever said that to a coworker when something comes out a little wonky?
Well, Saturday I wasn't building a piano, just fixing one.
We got a 1914 Knabe free of CL, so the wife and small children can learn together.
The vertical panel above the keyboard can swing up and open to show how the keys work (and to let the sound out, and the piano tuner in). One of the mounting screws for this panel fell out, so I went to put it back in, and it just spun. Then I checked the other 3 mounting screws, they spun too. Hmm.
Glue in wood dowel and screw into that? Maybe but that'll fall apart eventually too. And we'd be screwing into end grain.
Glue in a cross dowel and screw into that? Same problem as before but cross grain.
I know, cross dowel from metal, and machine screw into that!
Now to drill the panel accurately, out to a machine even older than the piano, my WF Barnes #6 lathe.
Drill chuck in spindle.
Remove tool post and tailstock.
Support front end with various blocks, shims, improvised toe clamps.
Support back end with wood lathe tool rest adjusted to proper height.
Line up with mark, square up, clamp down, drill, repeat. Wood was really dr and old, it turned to dust when drilling.
Find stainless steel 3/8" bolt and 10-24 tap, ..... (Bubba doesn't check tap drill chart, drills too small a hole, breaks tap. Bubba takes family to hardware store, buys tap, aluminum bar, and machine screws). Aluminum bar with the right tap drill works great. Done on Delta Homecraft drill press, not pictured, too easy.
Install went fine - used gorilla glue on the dowels to hold the wood together. Works great, should last a while.
Ever said that to a coworker when something comes out a little wonky?
Well, Saturday I wasn't building a piano, just fixing one.
We got a 1914 Knabe free of CL, so the wife and small children can learn together.
The vertical panel above the keyboard can swing up and open to show how the keys work (and to let the sound out, and the piano tuner in). One of the mounting screws for this panel fell out, so I went to put it back in, and it just spun. Then I checked the other 3 mounting screws, they spun too. Hmm.
Glue in wood dowel and screw into that? Maybe but that'll fall apart eventually too. And we'd be screwing into end grain.
Glue in a cross dowel and screw into that? Same problem as before but cross grain.
I know, cross dowel from metal, and machine screw into that!
Now to drill the panel accurately, out to a machine even older than the piano, my WF Barnes #6 lathe.
Drill chuck in spindle.
Remove tool post and tailstock.
Support front end with various blocks, shims, improvised toe clamps.
Support back end with wood lathe tool rest adjusted to proper height.
Line up with mark, square up, clamp down, drill, repeat. Wood was really dr and old, it turned to dust when drilling.
Find stainless steel 3/8" bolt and 10-24 tap, ..... (Bubba doesn't check tap drill chart, drills too small a hole, breaks tap. Bubba takes family to hardware store, buys tap, aluminum bar, and machine screws). Aluminum bar with the right tap drill works great. Done on Delta Homecraft drill press, not pictured, too easy.
Install went fine - used gorilla glue on the dowels to hold the wood together. Works great, should last a while.
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