Current & Recent Projects
Hamilton
 
 
55" Hamilton Upright #82492 (1916)
Traditional Oak Cabinet, Refinished by Owner. Reconditioned in October 2015 for the owner in Elk River, MN., who moved the piano after reconditioning to the home of her daughter and grandchildren in St. Joseph, MN. This piano is a family heirloom--it was purchased by the owner's parents.
IMPROVEMENTS:
Complete Cleaning--Clean strings, pressure bar, keybed, keypins, pedal mechanisms.
Recondition Action—
Reshape hammers, Tighten action screws, Replace or repair defective parts, Clean & lubricate.
Install New Plastic Keytops--Remove original ivories, clean, glue keytops, shape to keytops, clean & sand.
Complete Regulation—
All adjustments to ensure that piano plays like new, tune to A-440.
01 Action cleaned with compressed air

01 Action cleaned with compressed air

02 White keytops removed

02 White keytops removed

03 Keytop surfaces sanded

03 Keytop surfaces sanded

04 New keytops installed with PVC-E glue

04 New keytops installed with PVC-E glue

Selected pictures of the step-by-step improvement process
CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE, THEN CLICK "CLOSE" TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE
Original Manufacturer of this brand-name--Hamilton Piano Company

Established--Chicago Heights, IL in 1889.

Other brand-names used by this manufacturer--Controlled by the Baldwin Piano Company, Cincinnati, OH.
From: Pierce Piano Atlas, 12th Edition (2008, Larry Ashley Publisher, Albuquerque, NM).

Note: To obtain the age of your piano and details about the manufacturer, click: Pierce Piano Atlas--"the world's most authoritative publication on piano manufacturers, past and present." To learn how a piano works and how to go about buying one, we encourage you to purchase The Piano Book.
21 New bridle tapes installed with PVC-E glue

21 New bridle tapes installed with PVC-E glue

22 Regulating rail cleaned & lubricated

22 Regulating rail cleaned & lubricated

23 Hammer rail & hammer spring rail cleaned & lubricated

23 Hammer rail & hammer spring rail cleaned & lubricated

24 Rails & bridle tapes installed in action

24 Rails & bridle tapes installed in action

17 Defective jacks replaced

17 Defective jacks replaced

18 All action screws tightened

18 All action screws tightened

19 Defective abstracts repaired

19 Defective abstracts repaired

20 Hammer heads reshaped with Dremel sander

20 Hammer heads reshaped with Dremel sander

A - IN OUR SHOP
13 Keytops ready for installation

13 Keytops ready for installation

14 Loose center pins replaced with larger size

14 Loose center pins replaced with larger size

15 Defective hammer flanges replaced

15 Defective hammer flanges replaced

16 Hammers traveled & spaced

16 Hammers traveled & spaced

05 Three sharps installed with epoxy

05 Three sharps installed with epoxy

06 Sharps cleaned

06 Sharps cleaned

07 Rails & damper levers removed

07 Rails & damper levers removed

08 Old bridle tapes removed

08 Old bridle tapes removed

09 Keytops trimmed on router

09 Keytops trimmed on router

10 Second cut on router

10 Second cut on router

11 Final shaping with file

11 Final shaping with file

12 Sides of keytops sanded

12 Sides of keytops sanded

B - AT THE PIANO OWNER'S HOME
For contact information, go to the "Home Page"
25 Damper rods cleaned & re-installed

25 Damper rods cleaned & re-installed

26 Damper levers cleaned & lubricated

26 Damper levers cleaned & lubricated

27 Damper levers re-installed

27 Damper levers re-installed

28 Ready for completion in piano!

28 Ready for completion in piano!

29 Clean strings with steel wool

29 Clean strings with steel wool

30 Recondition & lubricate pedal mechanisms

30 Recondition & lubricate pedal mechanisms

31 Clean keybed, install new underkey punchings

31 Clean keybed, install new underkey punchings

32 Install action, align dampers & hammers to strings

32 Install action, align dampers & hammers to strings

33 Replace missing action bolt

33 Replace missing action bolt

34 Regulate capstans

34 Regulate capstans

35 Regulate white key heights

35 Regulate white key heights

36 Regulate heights of sharps

36 Regulate heights of sharps

37 Regulate key spacing & pins

37 Regulate key spacing & pins

38 Key dip regulated

38 Key dip regulated

39 Letoff regulated

39 Letoff regulated

40 Damper spoons regulated

40 Damper spoons regulated

41 Soft pedal mechanism repaired

41 Soft pedal mechanism repaired

42 Tuning

42 Tuning

43 Install new nameboard felt

43 Install new nameboard felt

44 Project completed!

44 Project completed!

45 Keyboard & decal close-up

45 Keyboard & decal close-up