This was the runner-up for our 2011 Christmas card.
26 November 2011
19 November 2011
177448 (3/9)
Friday, 14 Oct 11
It was the second beautiful day of cleaning keys with Pink Martini Pandora. With steam and a needle applicator of windex, I softened the hide glue and removed five pieces of felt from each key. I also met Bernard's friend, Jack, who came in to regulate another piano. Jack is an astronomer, pilot, physicist, beekeeper, chess tutor, and mathematician among many other things. He makes a fine pot of coffee.
Friday, 28 Oct 11
It was fine cold weather for another day on the black keys. After sanding the surfaces, I reshaped the corners several times. By the second half of the day, I was only working with a 400-grit sanding block and a grey piece of scotch-brite. I applied the first coat of Waterlox tung oil while blasting the "Pirates of Penzance."
It was the second beautiful day of cleaning keys with Pink Martini Pandora. With steam and a needle applicator of windex, I softened the hide glue and removed five pieces of felt from each key. I also met Bernard's friend, Jack, who came in to regulate another piano. Jack is an astronomer, pilot, physicist, beekeeper, chess tutor, and mathematician among many other things. He makes a fine pot of coffee.
Friday, 21 Oct 11
The highlight of the day was Osious carving my new pinblock out of a forty-two pound piece of wood. The bandsaw on maple emitted the savory smell of popcorn, which made me hungry. I continued to work on the keys, preparing the naturals to receive new tops and sanding down the ebonies. Can you tell which half I sanded?
It was fine cold weather for another day on the black keys. After sanding the surfaces, I reshaped the corners several times. By the second half of the day, I was only working with a 400-grit sanding block and a grey piece of scotch-brite. I applied the first coat of Waterlox tung oil while blasting the "Pirates of Penzance."
Friday, 4 Nov 11
I picked out my soundboard. It's the one on the right side of the photo in which I'm sitting amidst two thousand dollars of wood. You know, the pretty one. After removing the pins from the key frame, I sanded it down. I also smoothed down the ebonies with steel wool and applied another thin coat of tung oil.
Do you remember Jack, the Jack of all Trades? The astronomer, pilot, physicist, beekeeper, and mathematician among many other things? Today, he brought in a book he published. Check it out.
Needless to say, it was another wonderful day in Blanco.
Friday, 11 Nov 11
The weather couldn't have been prettier. I worked on the action parts, removing the hammers/shanks/flanges, wippens, and let-off buttons from the action rails. I had 176 screws to wirebrush and lacquer. After I set out the first 88, I met an intrepid grasshopper. Not wishing to lacquer the grasshopper, I took a picture of him instead. In one very dramatic moment, a gust of wind caught hold of the cardboard, causing four screws to fall underneath the deck, and the grasshopper leapt several feet into the air, landing on my head. I screamed.
The weather couldn't have been prettier. I worked on the action parts, removing the hammers/shanks/flanges, wippens, and let-off buttons from the action rails. I had 176 screws to wirebrush and lacquer. After I set out the first 88, I met an intrepid grasshopper. Not wishing to lacquer the grasshopper, I took a picture of him instead. In one very dramatic moment, a gust of wind caught hold of the cardboard, causing four screws to fall underneath the deck, and the grasshopper leapt several feet into the air, landing on my head. I screamed.
Friday, 18 Nov 11
After I "satinized" the white keytops with 320, 400, and 500-grit sand paper, I continued scrubbing the keys and action rails with steel wool. That was it.
You haven't lived until you've spent six consecutive hours with steel wool.
After I "satinized" the white keytops with 320, 400, and 500-grit sand paper, I continued scrubbing the keys and action rails with steel wool. That was it.
You haven't lived until you've spent six consecutive hours with steel wool.
END PART III
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