Death of a piano

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Kirbstone
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Death of a piano

Post by Kirbstone »

Last December some low-lifes broke into our holiday bolthole, blocked the basins & sinks & ran the water for perhaps a week or more until a neighbour discovered it. We lost a lot, particularly books, most of which were beyond recovery.
Among the furniture items lost was an old but serviceable piano, which last weekend I attempted to dismantle so I could shift it out of the house. It was FAR too heavy to move complete.
Stripped down to iron frame and soundboard we managed to get that out the door. There it will have to await a visit from a posse of young lads who can load it onto a trailer for removal.
An old treadle Singer sewing machine which folded away under its table was also wrecked, alas. The metal parts are restorable and I may be able to replace the wooden bits if I have the expertise & time. To do projects like these one needs to be retired and have all the time in the world....

Tom
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Uncle Al
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Re: Death of a piano

Post by Uncle Al »

Hi Tom,

Sorry to hear about the piano :( The scallywags :twisted: who did this needs to feel
the buggy whip. If you need advice on restoring the keys, let me know. I have
a few people in mind, who might be able to offer advice on what to do, and
what NOT to do. Those are REAL ivories. Tough to restore but it can be done.

Take plenty of pictures to document the style, engravings, what goes where, etc.,
to make building replacement parts easier to match to the original. By all means,
try to use the same kind of wood, be it Oak, Walnut, Mahogany or what ever,
keeping it as 'original' as possible.

It will be expensive but well worth the cost and effort when viewing and playing
the restored instrument.

Best wishes :!:

Uncle Al
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2018-202 ? (and the beat goes on ;) )
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I respond-The why is F.T.H.O.I. (For The H--- Of It)
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Kirbstone
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Re: Death of a piano

Post by Kirbstone »

Thank you Uncle Al for your interest.

Alas, after the thick end of a month of continuous deluge the piano is not restorable. We have saved the ivories, but they are all warped. Also the ebony black keys, but they will be put to some other use.
We have however, been over this ground before. I may have mentioned it way back, but on Dec. 27th 1977 we awoke the the sound of trickling water. Our 22-month-old youngest had climbed out of his cot & turned on both faucets in his little bedroom, which was directly above my Beloved Bechstein. The ceilings in 16th Century Tudor houses are not waterproof and there was considerable water damage to the instrument. However it was 'fresh', just done, & the soundboard was undamaged.

Whelpdale, Maxwell & Codd, a piano restoration firm in London took it away, dried it out for three months, restored & restrung it for a month, put a set of new ivories in (188 Pounds extra) and It arrived back on May 2nd 1978 a thing of beauty & you could shave yourself in the French polish Rosewood finish. They sent the bill to the insurers.

It has given us and our friends untold pleasure ever since.

Tom
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denimini
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Re: Death of a piano

Post by denimini »

Tom, I know it won't make you feel any better but ..........
A friend of mine owns a nice historic solid brick house with a basement built for residing in the hot weather before the days of airconditioning. When he was away someone stole the brass garden tap near the house and the water ran into the basement for a month before he got back home. This caused so much subsidence and structural damage to the building.
Unfortunately there is a small percentage of .... er .. um ...ah....people that will do this sort of thing. It is very saddening to hear of these incidents let alone have it happen to oneself. My thoughts are with you and hope that it is soon balanced by something really nice happening.
Anthony, a denim miniskirt wearer in Outback Australia
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Kirbstone
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Re: Death of a piano

Post by Kirbstone »

Denimini, You're a Star. :)

Up this end of the Globe we already see a good stretch in the Winter evenings, with the watery Sun above the horizon for a bit longer each day.

Yes, a Lotto win would go down nicely......but to be in the frame you have to go out and buy a ticket first, apparently.........as presumably did the Cavan man after his Lord spake unto him as he was on his knees praying for financial Deliverance. Got to the Punch Line a bit quick, didn't I ? :eye:

Tom
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skirtyscot
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Re: Death of a piano

Post by skirtyscot »

Sorry to hear about that, Tom. What a bunch of toe-rags.
Keep on skirting,

Alastair
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Pdxfashionpioneer
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Re: Death of a piano

Post by Pdxfashionpioneer »

Your story is downright heartbreaking! It makes you wonder whatever on Earth they think they get out of such behavior.
David, the PDX Fashion Pioneer

Social norms aren't changed by Congress or Parliament; they're changed by a sufficient number of people ignoring the existing ones and publicly practicing new ones.
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