Current & Recent Projects
55 1/2" Vose & Sons Upright #60219 (1905)
55 1/2" Vose & Sons Upright #60219 (1905)
Red mahogany cabinet. Exterior finish severely damaged by a house fire, but the piano's frame is sound, strings can be replaced and the action can be restored. Reconditioned by Ray's Piano Service in Summer-Fall, 2017 for the owner in New London, MN. Refinished by Mike Frank's Custom Furniture, Foreston, MN.
IMPROVEMENTS:
Dismantle & Clean--Remove all panels, keybed, pedal board, strings, pins, casters. Complete cleaning.
Repair Board & Restring--Sand soundboard, shim cracks, refinish board, clean plate bolts and screws.
Restring & Repin--Install new strings and larger-size pins.
Recondition Action—Install new hammers, dampers, bridle tapes, replace defective parts, tighten screws, lubricate rails.
Complete Regulation—All adjustments to ensure that piano plays like new, tune to A-440.
Refinishing (on sub-contract with Mike Frank's Custom Furniture, Foreston)--Strip veneer surfaces, sand, repair and reglue veneer as needed. Refinish. Install new fallboard decal.
Reassembly & Delivery--Clean all cabinet screws. Re-install keybed and pedal board. Install new casters. Install new nameboard felt. Replace panels. Delivery to owner after completion of replacement home.
Selected pictures of the step-by-step improvement process
CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE, THEN CLICK "CLOSE" TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE
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.
A - IN OUR SHOP
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1 - Damaged by fire--front view |
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2 - Loading onto trailer in New London |
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3 - In trailer |
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4 - Panels, action and keys removed |
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For contact information, go to the "Home Page"
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--Vose & Sons, Boston, MA
Established--1851, by James Whiting Vose
Other manufacturers of this brand-name--In the 1920s Vose built a new factory at Watertown, Greater Boston. Became part of American Piano Co. And Aeolian.
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5 - Action cleaned with compressed air |
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6 - Panels stored on shop wall |
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7 - Keybed, pedal board, casters removed |
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8 - Loose sides reglued to keybed |
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BEFORE: Fire-damaged piano
Selected pictures of the step-by-step improvement process
CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE, THEN CLICK "CLOSE" TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE
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9 - Bass strings removed, will be sent to string maker |
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10 - End blocks re-sized |
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11 - New casters installed |
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12 - Keybed & legs refitted |
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13 - New lower panel stop installed |
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14 - Fallboard ends sanded, new snakker knobs installed |
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15 - Left endblock sanded for better fit |
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16 - Fallboard re-installed to check fit |
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17 - Fall board no longer jams! |
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18 - Music rest fittings repaired |
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19 - New lower panel latch installed |
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20 - Left edge of music rest sanded |
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21 - New Music rest springs installed |
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22 - Completely reassembled to check fit before going to refinisher |
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23 - String sizes guide prepared |
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24 - Treble strings removed |
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25 - Panels and boards moved to Frank's Custom Furniture for refinishing |
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26 - Soundboard refinished and new understring felt installed |
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27 - Re-stringing & re-pinning treble section |
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28 - Treble re-strung, pressure bar & braid installed, chipped to pitch |
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29 - Bass section restrung, repinned, chipped to pitch |
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30 - Plate area masked for refinishing |
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31 - All cabinet components shipped to refinisher |
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32 - Front Panel stripped & sanded |
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33 - All veneered surfaces stripped & sanded |
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34 - Leg stripped & sanded |
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35 - Main body repaired, stripped & sanded |
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36 - Remove bridle tapes & rails from action |
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37 - Remove sample hammers, dampers & damper rails. |
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38 - Temporarily store dampers & railes during reconditioning |
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39 - Mail sample hammers to hammer supplier |
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40 - Broken flanges replaced |
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41 - Defective butts, butt plates & shanks replaced. It's now ready for all new hammer heads. . . |
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42 - Install odd-numbered hammer heads |
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43 - All hammer heads installed |
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44 - Catcher leather replaced in mid-section |
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45 - Broken hammer spings replaced |
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46 - Hammer rail polished, new hammer rail cloth |
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47 - Hammer rail installed. New bridal tapes attached to bridal wires |
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48 - Hammer spring rail installed |
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49 - Back from the Refinisher's, cabinet and keybed |
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50 - Back from the Refinisher's, side wall and top |
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51 - Back from the Refinisher's, panels and boards |
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52 - Back from the Refinisher's, fallboard decal |
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53 - Keyboard, keyframe and legs reassembled |
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54 - Brass pedals cleaned & polished |
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55 - Pedal board reassembled & installed |
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56 - Damper bar cleaned, polished, re-installed |
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57 - Damper levers cleaned, polished |
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58 - Keys cleaned & buffed |
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59 - Treble damper levers & felts installed |
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60 - Keys, punchings, blocks, keyslip dry-fitted at both ends of piano |
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65 - Hammers aligned to strings |
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66 - Damper spoons regulated |
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67 - Multiple pitch raises and tunings before delivery |
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68 - Music rest assembled |
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61 - Fallboard & music desk assembled to check heights |
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62 - New underkey punchings & cloth installed |
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63 - Capstans, letoff, keyheights regulated |
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64 - Keys leveled, key dip |
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69 - Ready for delivery! |
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70 - Close-up of front, music rest extended |
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71 - Close-up of right leg |
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72 - Close-up of pedals assembly |
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73 - Lid closed |
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74 - Close-up of music rest pattern |
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75 - Close-up of fallboard decal and keys |
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AFTER: Ready for delivery!
