LATEST UPDATE OF THIS PAGE: 9/8/04

Previous Projects

 

Pianos Restored on Contract

 

5'6" Baldwin Grand # G 61558

Built in 1929. Reconditioned & partially refinished by Ray's Piano Service in August 2004. A solid piano, with a deep, rich tone: ideal for large music room.

IMPROVEMENTS:

Recondition—Clean, install new bass strings & pins, reshape hammers, tighten all screws, replace defective parts. Recondition lyre.

Complete Regulation—Install new underkey punchings, all regulation adjustments to ensure that piano plays like new, tune to A-440.

Partial Refinishing--Dismantle & strip cabinet, wood repairs as needed, deliver, reassemble after owner has refinished the cabinet and wood parts, clean & polish all brass parts.

SCHEDULE:

Picked up in Mount Vernon, WA—August 3, 2004

Sold to buyer in Mount Vernon, WA--August 6, 2004

Cleaned, stripped, action reconditioned, regulated--August 16, 2004

Delivered to buyer for refinishing--August 16, 2004

Reassembled, regulation completed, tuned at owner's home--September 8, 2004

 

 

1929 Baldwin Grand - "Before" picture:

 

1929 Baldwin Grand - "After" picture:


 

1929 Baldwin Grand 5'6":
Pictures of the Improvement Process
taken in our shop

 

1 – We removed the bass strings and pins. The strings will be sent to the string-maker for duplication. We thoroughly cleaned the upper interior of the piano: plate, pins, strings, bridges and sound board. This area will be masked off before we strip the cabinet exterior.

2 – We dismantled the piano, removing all brass parts and screws. We stripped each wood part. We delivered the piano to the buyer, who wishes to refinish the piano at their home in Mount Vernon, WA. After refinishing has been completed, we will re-assemble the piano, conduct a regulation, and tune it, at the new owner's home.

 

3 – We dismantled the piano action and removed all old underkey punchings. Then we cleaned and polished the key pins before installing new underkey punchings and key cloth.

4 – We reshaped the hammers, and we installed about 20 invory keytops to replace those that were chipped or missing.

 

5 – We tightened all action screws and we re-glued a few felt parts that had come loose.

6 – With special weights attached to the backchecks, we regulated key height and leveling.

 

7 – We checked for alignment of the wippens. Then, using our special regulating jig, we regulated hammer blow distance, letoff, and drop.

8 – We conducted a "final" regulation with the action in the piano--to ensure that hammers were properly aligned to the strings, etc., and to make corrections to the movement of the dampers.

 

9 – We delivered the piano with the cabinet and wood parts stripped. The owner spent the next two weeks applying several coats of minwax oil.

10 – After cleaning and polishing all brass parts, we rebuilt the lyre and installed it in the piano.

 

11 – We installed the ferrules and casters on the three legs, and then installed the legs.

12 – With cardboard protection at the front edge, we installed new bass strings and pins.

 

13 – After the bass strings were installed, we installed the bass dampers.

14 – We installed stringing braid in the bass and tenor sections of the piano, to reduce "ringing" of the lower portions of the strings.

 

15 – We installed the brass action guides on the end blocks and adjusted them for optimum tone especially in the high treble.

16 – The first tuning. This piano will need to be tuned several times in coming weeks until tuning stability is established in the bass section.

 

17 – We moved the piano into the owner's family room.

18 – "After" picture, from the left.