LATEST UPDATE OF THIS PAGE: 2/9/04

Previous Projects

 

50" Kimball Upright #75032 Mahogany cabinet. Built in 1900. Rebuilt by Ray’s Piano Service, Winter 2002-2003 Our budget for this project was $2,600, including pick-up and delivery, after-delivery tuning, and 1-year guarantee on improvements. We offered to refinish this piano and replate the pedals at a future date for $1,500, including pick up and delivery. IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED: Rebuild—Dismantle. Remove strings, pins, plate. Repair bass bridge. Repair and refinish sound board and bridges. Re-install plate. Install new strings and pins. Rebuild pedal mechanisms. Recondition Action—Clean, install new hammers, install new bridle tapes, install new damper pads,  tighten screws, replace additional defective parts, rebush keys as needed. Install new black ebony keytops. Complete Regulation—Install new underkey punchings. Make adjustments to ensure that piano plays like new: key height, key levelling, hammer blow distance, lost motion, letoff,  sustain, spoons. Tune to A-440 SCHEDULE: Signed Service Agreement : December 2002 Picked up from Everson, WA : January 2002 Restoration completed: March 2003 Delivered to Everson, WA: March 2003

 

1900 Kimball Upright -- "Before" picture:

 

Pictures of the improvement process taken in our shop:

1 – We dismantled the piano.	2 – We removed the bass strings and sent them to the string-maker for duplication.
3 – We removed the treble strings and pins.	4 – After removing the plate bolts, we lifted the plate out of the piano with our ceiling-mounted winch.
5 – We removed the bass bridge for repairs.	6 – We reamed the pinblock holes to remove dirt from them.
7 – We scraped the old finish from the soundboard and used home-made vices to re-attach the soundboard to the ribs in areas where it was loose.	8 – While it was drying, we pushed the soundboard outward with wood, in an effort to increase the "crown".
9 – We covered the soundboard and placed a heater under it to dry it out, thus increasing the size of the cracks.	10 – We inserted wood shims in the cracks with glue.
11 – We re-installed the bass bridge.	12 – We refinished the plate with gold enamel.
13 – We rebolted the plate in place and installed understring felts.	14 – We installed new strings and pins.
15 – We repaired the "bottom board."	16 – We cleaned and lubricated the pedal mechanisms and replaced the "bottom board" in the piano.
17 – After cleaning the keybed, we installed new key cloth and underkey punchings.	18 – We installed new hammers in the action.
19 – We regulated hammer-blow distance.	20 – We installed new treble dampers and regulated them.
21 – We replaced the black keys with new black ebony keytops.	22 – We installed new bass dampers and regulated them.
23 – After completing the regulation adjustments, we tuned the piano several times in order to achieve tuning stability with new strings.	24 – We tuned the piano again just before delivery, and again several weeks after delivery. This Kimball will give the owners another generation of musical pleasure!