Current Projects

Restore on Contract

5'6" Baldwin "B" Grand  #78027

Mahogany veneer with dark walnut lacquer. Built in 1936. Scheduled for rebuilding Spring 2008.

IMPROVEMENTS:

Rebuild—Dismantle. Remove pins and strings. Repair and refinish soundboard and bridges. Install new pinblock. Restring & Repin.

Recondition action—Tighten all action screws. Repair or replace worn and defective action parts as agreed with owner.

Complete Regulation—Install new damper felts. All adjustments to ensure that piano plays like new, tune to A-440, tune.

Refinish—Strip, repair, sand wood surfaces as needed. Apply grain filler, sealer, stain, lacquer. Install new fallboard decal. Reassemble.

SCHEDULE:

Pick Up—from Chewelah, WA, March 8, 2008

Restoration Work Scheduled--Spring 2008

5'6" Baldwin "B" Grand #78027 (1936) - "Before, in Chewelah"

5'6" Baldwin "B" Grand #78027 (1936) - "Current Status, in our shop"

10. After sanding the board and bridges in preparation for refinishing, we removed the old pinblock. We will order new pinblock material from the supplier.

5'6" Baldwin "B" Grand #78027 (1936)
Pictures of the Improvement Process
taken in our shop:

1 – This is a "one-owner" piano since new. The previous owner has purchased a new Mason & Hamlin Grand for their son who is majoring in piano performance. The immaculate case and minimum wear on felt and leather parts clearly show that it was well cared for.

2 – Although the cabinet veneer is mahogany, the dark walnut stain of the original finish has changed the color to a deep brown. In our refinishing, we aim to apply dark walnut stain again, resulting in a deep brown color with the grain pattern showing through faintly.

3 – We removed the action, air-cleaned all areas of the piano, and removed the lid prop and music rest. We recorded measurements of the downbearing, string heights, plate heights, and damper heights to use as a guide during re-assembly. Then we removed the dampers and placed them in our damper storage rack.

4 – After unbolting the plate, we lifted it out of the piano cabinet using our ceiling-mounted winch.

5 – Prior to destringing, we prepared a "stringing guage guide" showing the size of every string removed. After string removal, we sent the bass strings to the string maker for duplication, and we stored the plate bolts in holes indicating their location in the piano.

6 – After dismantling the piano, we placed all the parts in storage, ready for stripping, repairs, and sanding.

7 – We placed the wood parts individually on our "refinishing table," we prepared each piece for refinishing--stripped off the old finish, repaired damaged areas in the veneer, and sanded.

8 – A careful examination of the board and bridges confirms our selection of this piano for restoration--they're in excellent shape, requiring minimum repairs. The board still has good crown, no cracks, and bridges are solid.

9 – We stripped the old finish off the veneer surfaces of the case and we scraped the old varnish off the board and bridges.

10 – After sanding the board and bridges in preparation for refinishing, we removed the old pinblock. We will order new pinblock material from the supplier.

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