Harpsichord

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Donald - Thanks for this revelation on your Challis H'chord. I hope you took copious photographic evidence of your procedures. A good photograph, as they say, is worth a thousand words. Posting them here if you have done so would add to your description! Having no key-frame is a right pain - but an interesting one. Again, photos please!

As to the 16' Choir - one thing I would try is to play this stop at the top end - listen to it objectively. The Goble 16' has a magical fluty sound at the top end and I would be loath to lose this in preference to another 8'. My opinion only. Then, of course, there's the re-engineering to be considered - replacing the 16' bridge with another 8' bridge . . .  will the soundboard complain?? As to creating a hitch loop in the covered part of the string - Well Done! It may be temporary, but there must be a reason it holds without breaking - hitch pin sizes? Maybe scaling down the cores of the bottom 8ve. might produce a good result. The easy way to do this would be to mic up the cores and where it changes, plotting its scaling. Possibly moving all the choir 'down one' so C# becomes C &c. Worth a try?

Very interesting project.

Michael    UK

------------------------------
Michael Gamble
semi retired
Brighton
01273813612
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-11-2015 00:43
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Donald - What is the purpose of those pliers?  And, what is the message behind the photo of those Jacks?    Michael   UK

------------------------------
Michael Gamble
semi retired
Brighton
01273813612
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-11-2015 00:43
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?
2. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

I have a pair of those pliers, inherited them from my father-in-law. Have no idea what they were made for, but I often find them useful. One thing I use them for is plectra removal, grabbing them just ahead of the tongue and pushing (not bearing down too much or you will cut through), or grabbing a nub that protrudes out the back of a tongue (I leave a tiny one for that purpose, and so that I can advance the plectrum a bit with my thumbnail as needed). BTW, check out Rio Grande Supply (jewelry supply, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary located here in Albuquerque) for some pretty interesting varieties of pliers.

I would definitely convert to 8 x 8 x 4. Far more useful. There might be a few people out there who would find 16 x 8 x 4 interesting, but not among most of today's harpsichord crowd. The only literature that would specifically call for 16' is 20th century, and you would really need a two manual with pedals to operate the registers to play that stuff (Poulenc, de Falla, etc. wrote for Landowska, assuming her Pleyel instrument). Baroque literature and earlier never specifies.

What about using the existing synthetic leather to hold your delrin? Cut it flush, and make a slot in it at the top, probably by drilling 2 - 3 holes with an appropriate small bit and then trying to use the bit to join the holes into a slot. It's worth experimenting, as it would reduce the complexity of the job a lot.

I would probably opt for leather over wood, as it would give more when the delrin is inserted, and provide a more springy solid fit. You might consider Barge cement as an adhesive for whatever you use. It seems to adhere well to most surfaces, including delrin.

------------------------------
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu
http://fredsturm.net
http://www.artoftuning.com
"We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Casteneda
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-11-2015 00:43
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Fred,

I used to have a jewelers supply catalog and yes, they have a lot of interesting pliers. I was wondering if I would find this style in such a catalog. Here is another jewelry site but my quick look did not find the pliers in question:

http://www.fdjtool.com/Category/903_1/Pliers_Cutters.aspx

Check out all the pliers on this electronics site:

http://knipex-tools.com/de/products/knipex/

What synthetic leather are you referring to specifically?

Thanks,

Don

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-12-2015 11:01
From: Fred Sturm
Subject: Challis revisited

I have a pair of those pliers, inherited them from my father-in-law. Have no idea what they were made for, but I often find them useful. One thing I use them for is plectra removal, grabbing them just ahead of the tongue and pushing (not bearing down too much or you will cut through), or grabbing a nub that protrudes out the back of a tongue (I leave a tiny one for that purpose, and so that I can advance the plectrum a bit with my thumbnail as needed). BTW, check out Rio Grande Supply (jewelry supply, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary located here in Albuquerque) for some pretty interesting varieties of pliers.

I would definitely convert to 8 x 8 x 4. Far more useful. There might be a few people out there who would find 16 x 8 x 4 interesting, but not among most of today's harpsichord crowd. The only literature that would specifically call for 16' is 20th century, and you would really need a two manual with pedals to operate the registers to play that stuff (Poulenc, de Falla, etc. wrote for Landowska, assuming her Pleyel instrument). Baroque literature and earlier never specifies.

What about using the existing synthetic leather to hold your delrin? Cut it flush, and make a slot in it at the top, probably by drilling 2 - 3 holes with an appropriate small bit and then trying to use the bit to join the holes into a slot. It's worth experimenting, as it would reduce the complexity of the job a lot.

I would probably opt for leather over wood, as it would give more when the delrin is inserted, and provide a more springy solid fit. You might consider Barge cement as an adhesive for whatever you use. It seems to adhere well to most surfaces, including delrin.

------------------------------
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm@unm.edu
http://fredsturm.net
http://www.artoftuning.com
"We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Casteneda
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-11-2015 00:43
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Ah, yes, I did try the old plectra and found it too difficult to work with. The small size of the pieces made it hard to handle and wedge the Delrin in at the same time. I prefer to wedge both at the same time over the procedure of putting the filler piece in first and then drilling or slicing out a slot for the Delrin. Having a strip of material ready to wedge in at the same time as the Delrin just seems more efficient to me. I guess it is all a matter of practice though. 

I think we had the discussion not long ago about stripping leather and Delrin. I have visited three local leather shops and neither had a skiving machine. The strips of leather from Instrument Workshop seem work well as the filler. They need a bit of skiving to fit so I have been using a scalpel blade. I wonder if the Tandy hand skiver would work on strips? They are not too expensive so it might be worth a try.

I just purchased this to try stripping Delrin:

http://www.micromark.com/duplicate-it,9546.html

With any luck it will work on leather too.

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-12-2015 21:41
From: Fred Sturm
Subject: Challis revisited

Those pliers are for holding small brads. i believe you can get them at MicroMart.
------------------------------
Regards,

Jon Page

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

BIG D!!!!

:}

So can you get new tongues for this by chance?
That way you can get appropriate sized openings to accept the Delrin instead of the larger hole that was left from the leather.

If you can't and you have to go with gluing in thick shims to make up the difference- I'd try using the leather shims and (sadly!) super glue gel.

My 2 cents about the stringing... 2 8' s and a 4'- all new strings.
(want me to send you my Instrument Workshop helix maker???)

It's SPIFFY.
(Ken Walkup used it for a restringing job and LOVED it.)

:}
Strange E

------------------------------
Michelle Stranges
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-11-2015 00:43
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

Oops... forget what I said about the tongues...
I just saw the photos when I went to the PTG site and read the post.

in any case, wish i was there to help you!

;}
m

------------------------------
Michelle Stranges
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-12-2015 17:18
From: Michelle Stranges
Subject: Challis revisited

BIG D!!!!

:}

So can you get new tongues for this by chance?
That way you can get appropriate sized openings to accept the Delrin instead of the larger hole that was left from the leather.

If you can't and you have to go with gluing in thick shims to make up the difference- I'd try using the leather shims and (sadly!) super glue gel.

My 2 cents about the stringing... 2 8' s and a 4'- all new strings.
(want me to send you my Instrument Workshop helix maker???)

It's SPIFFY.
(Ken Walkup used it for a restringing job and LOVED it.)

:}
Strange E

------------------------------
Michelle Stranges
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-11-2015 00:43
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

Warning, this post is a bit long. It just feels correct to write my experiences so far all in one post. When you have the time please read on. I really would like to hear your comments and answers to my questions.

As promised, I am writing to report my progress on the Challis I purchased last year. (For those unfamiliar with my project look up the initial discussion in the harpsichord community discussion list.) It has been difficult to get a good stretch of time to work on the harpsichord but lately I have been able to get some quality time. So far it has been an interesting and sometimes exasperating challenge. Depending on my mood or the day, I look upon this instrument as either an engineering marvel or a nightmare.

My first major task was to remove the keys. They needed cleaning, polishing and easing the felt on the rear of the keys. The felt is in a fork at the rear of the key for the vertical guide pin. The guide pins are mounted at the rear of the keybed. Notice I said mounted on the rear of the keybed! For all the engineering marvels of this instrument, I am not sure why Challis decided not to make a removable keyframe to easily service the keys, balance pins and guide pins. Fortunately the pins were in good condition and only needed cleaning and lubricating. It was not the easiest thing to do but manageable. It would have also been a lot easier to level the keys if it had a removable keyframe. If it were necessary to replace the pins it would have been a real nightmare. The keybed would need to be removed for that procedure.

The next task was to replace the damper felt on the damper jacks. Removing the felt presented a challenge as the felt is held in the fork, at the top of the jack, with small brad nails. The nails were set in very tight and took some force to remove. First I came up with the idea to replace the pin on my WNG center pin tool. By drilling into the center of a Phillips screw (with the same threads to screw into the tool) and then inserting and gluing a pin of the appropriate diameter, I was able to come up with something I thought would work. Well, it did not. After about a dozen successful removals I broke the forks on two of the jacks. I gave up on the tool for removal. (See the attached picture of the broken jacks) I used the WNG tool to insert the brads without incident.

The next tool I found did the trick for removal of the nails. Have a look at the attached picture of the pliers I came across in my pliers drawer. I inherited the pliers from my father who was an aircraft radio/radar technician. (Can anyone identify how the pliers would be used? Just curious.) I had to grind the tip of the pliers to sharpen the inside jaws of the prongs. This allowed me to get under the head of the brad to pull it out just a bit. Then I used a small needle nose to pull out the rest of the way. After pulling out the brads on all of the two rows of damper felt for the 16’ and 8’ jacks, I decided not to tempt fate any longer and did not replace the 4’ damper felt. The 8’ and 16’ felt needed to be replaced but I was able to trim the original felt on the 4’ to get a clean surface.

My guess is that it is nearly impossible to find replacement jacks for a Challis so I had to either come up with a repair or come up with a way to manufacture new jacks. I decided on an epoxy repair. I first inserted the felt onto the broken prongs and then glued the assembly onto the jack. My reasoning for this procedure of putting the felt in place first was fear of breaking the prongs again when trying to insert the brads. While I believe the glue joint will hold (especially with the extra glue collar I put on the break) I am fairly certain the prongs will not take to bending even slightly.

The next task I am currently facing is to replace the plectra. In the 1969 interview in The Harpsichord, Challis talks about his experimentation with different quill material. I am certain the new “material” was used on this instrument. Those that were in good shape did produce a pleasing tone. I would love to get some of this “material” but it is just not practical to go on that quest.

It has been difficult to find suitable leather to replace the synthetic material Challis used. At this point I am inclined to give up and use Delrin. I have tried the leather from Instrument Workshop and Neupert. Although it is not possible to get the leather plectra I used years ago to replace on a Sperrhake, I tried one of my remaining stock. I also purchased some pieces of shoe sole leather from a local leather shop to try out. After trying samples of each leather, I found that I do not like the tone they generate. The volume is good enough but I was surprised that none of the samples had a rounder tone than the Delrin. Also, the touch is a bit heavier with leather due to its thickness. Trimming them thinner just makes the tone weaker. I tried hardening the sole leather with an 8:1 lacquer mixture and thinning the leather. It did not improve the overall tone. I realize tone and touch is a subjective matter but my gut is saying to go with the Delrin.

My next task with the plectra is deciding what material to use to hold the Delrin in a tongue that held the larger synthetic plectra. I just started experimenting with leather and different types of wood. So far no clear winner. I believe to be safe; I should use glue to hold the material in the tongue. So, here are a couple of what would you do questions:

1. What material would you use to hold in the Delrin?

1. If you feel as I do about the glue, what glue would you use to hold the material in place?

Finally, at some point I need to determine what to do about the current registration of string choirs. The instrument has one each 4’, 8’ and 16’. The 16’ strings are the same length as the 8’ and are thus thicker than the 8’. There are four issues I have with this choir registration. First, the 16’ strings will become a problem if they break with any regularity in the future. When I purchased the instrument there were two broken 16’ strings. One was at note 1 and the other was up in the treble. So far no other strings have broken after several tunings before I started the jack project. (Except as noted in the next paragraph) Due to the windings to make them thicker, the 16’ strings are costly to replace. The replacement for note 1 went on without a problem. The treble string was a problem.

The 16’ treble string that needed replacing has a steel core wire of .005 and the brass winding is .003. When pulling the string up to tension the loop broke at the hitch pin. I had another one made and this time the wire had a double loop for the hitch. It too broke at the hitch pin when it got close to pitch. This is a problem that I have yet to solve to satisfaction and it may prove costly to resolve. To make the string work I decided to try making a hitch loop on the wound portion of the string. So far the string is holding. This is not ideal in my opinion but it may have to be if I keep the 16’ choir. Any thoughts on how to get the string to hold tension without resorting to a hitch on the winding?

Secondly, with regard to the 16’ choir, I am thinking about removing the 16’ strings and replacing with an 8’ choir. This should eliminate the breaking of the strings as none of the 8’ choir strings are wound and they seem to be holding without breaking. It looks like this change can be accomplished, as the speaking length for the 16’ is the same as the 8’.

Third, I spoke to four harpsichordists recently and asked this question; would you want a harpsichord with a 16, 8 and 4 registration or two 8’s and a 4? They all would choose the two 8’s and a 4. I am not real knowledgeable on harpsichord literature but my guess was that there is not a whole lot of call for a 16’ choir. They all confirmed my guess. Two 8’s and a 4 was their choice. What is your opinion? Do you agree that there is not much call for a 16’ choir? Based on the information I received from the conversation with the harpsichordists, I am considering changing the 16’ to an 8’. Would you do this change? A primary part of my thinking is that I will be able to sell the instrument faster with two 8’s and a 4.

Lastly, I am still trying to decide whether or not to replace all the strings. This harpsichord was built in 1971. The strings are still producing good tone for their age but I wonder how much better they would sound if new. If I should keep the 16’ choir I will most likely not replace all the strings. The 16’ strings will be too expensive to replace. That leaves me with the quandary of replacing all the 8’ strings. At this point I am inclined to replace all 8’ strings if I keep the 16’ choir. It would not be expensive, just my time. If I go with two 8’s I will replace all the strings. Of course if I replace the 8’ choir I will replace the 4’ as well. Like piano strings, harpsichord strings can get too old. Although the strings are not over the hill, I am guessing from my experience with piano wire that the tonal quality will improve. All thoughts and comments on my string issues are most welcome.

Thanks much for reading all the way to the end of this post! When you have a moment, please reply to one or all of my questions or conundrums. Although this project has its challenges I have to say for the most part I have enjoyed the ride so far. I am eager to see what the completed project will produce. Hopefully it will be a wonderful example of mid-twentieth contemporary harpsichord building!

As promised, attached are some pictures of the Challis. Below are comments and questions for some of the pictures. Please do not look too closely at my messy old shop area! It is a work in progress but only higher powers know when it will be finished. :-) The one thing I miss about Ithaca College is the shop!

Bridge/Bass – this gives you a good look at the difference in the diameter of the 16’ vs. 8’.

BridgeRepair – an interesting repair that looks to be done a long time ago. The bridge failed at the front pins.

FrameBracing – just amazing!

FrontEnd – shows the damper jacks installed and a few plectra jacks.

KeyBackEnd – taking a cue from Fred and used Teflon powder on the bushing.

Keybed – yes, it would have been nice if were removable. This shot also shows the Bakelite bushing for the tuning pins.

Lid – note the water stain to the right on the front fly. Can anyone give advise on how to remove or lighten the stain without refinishing the whole thing?

Pins&Registers - Note on the pictures that show the tuning pins; the pins corresponding to the sharps are nickel plated and the naturals have blued pins.

Pins16’ – This is in the treble where the brass wrapped strings change to another wrapping. Can anyone guess what that wrapping might be? Iron Perhaps?

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------

As promised, attached are some pictures of the Challis. Below are comments and questions for some of the pictures. Please do not look too closely at my messy old shop area! It is a work in progress but only higher powers know when it will be finished. :-) The one thing I miss about Ithaca College is the shop!

Bridge/Bass – this gives you a good look at the difference in the diameter of the 16’ vs. 8’.

BridgeRepair – an interesting repair that looks to be done a long time ago. The bridge failed at the front pins.

FrameBracing – just amazing!

FrontEnd – shows the damper jacks installed and a few plectra jacks.

KeyBackEnd – taking a cue from Fred and used Teflon powder on the bushing.

Keybed – yes, it would have been nice if were removable. This shot also shows the Bakelite bushing for the tuning pins.

Lid – note the water stain to the right on the front fly. Can anyone give advise on how to remove or lighten the stain without refinishing the whole thing?

Pins&Registers - Note on the pictures that show the tuning pins; the pins corresponding to the sharps are nickel plated and the naturals have blued pins.

Pins16’ – This is in the treble where the brass wrapped strings change to another wrapping. Can anyone guess what that wrapping might be? Iron Perhaps?

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------

Don - Thanks for those photos. This is the most amazing and innovative use of non-standard H'chord materials! Those balance pin mortises, for example - being open ended and of Bakelite. A similar approach to the tail end of the key to enable 'easy' extraction. As for windings on the treble part of the 16' I'll put a really obscure guess in - alloy! That would match with his general thinking!

But how does it sound as an instrument? And (a-propos your suggestion of changing the 16' to a second 8') - but before you go along this route, how does the treble end of this rank sound? As I mentioned earlier the Goble 16' (have one at Glyndebourne) sounds very distinctively 'fluty' at the top end - a sound I would be loath to lose. I assume the strings at the top end are not covered?

I take it the bracing is welded alloy - looks like it. 
------------------------------
Michael Gamble
semi retired
Brighton
01273813612
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2015 21:48
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

As promised, attached are some pictures of the Challis. Below are comments and questions for some of the pictures. Please do not look too closely at my messy old shop area! It is a work in progress but only higher powers know when it will be finished. :-) The one thing I miss about Ithaca College is the shop!

Bridge/Bass – this gives you a good look at the difference in the diameter of the 16’ vs. 8’.

BridgeRepair – an interesting repair that looks to be done a long time ago. The bridge failed at the front pins.

FrameBracing – just amazing!

FrontEnd – shows the damper jacks installed and a few plectra jacks.

KeyBackEnd – taking a cue from Fred and used Teflon powder on the bushing.

Keybed – yes, it would have been nice if were removable. This shot also shows the Bakelite bushing for the tuning pins.

Lid – note the water stain to the right on the front fly. Can anyone give advise on how to remove or lighten the stain without refinishing the whole thing?

Pins&Registers - Note on the pictures that show the tuning pins; the pins corresponding to the sharps are nickel plated and the naturals have blued pins.

Pins16’ – This is in the treble where the brass wrapped strings change to another wrapping. Can anyone guess what that wrapping might be? Iron Perhaps?

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------

Michael,

Yes, perhaps alloy but I wonder what composition? I have more digging to do!

One of the reasons I purchased this instrument was the hint of a pleasing sound if properly reconditioned. Having got to the point of experimenting with plectra I am still convinced it will sound very nice. Yes, it will have a different tonal quality than traditionally built instruments but it will be very useful to someone. One characteristic of the tonal quality is sustain. It has a bit more than the traditional harpsichords I have seen. We will see how harpsichordists like that aspect when I am finished.

I am still on the fence about converting the 16' to 8'. My plan is to finish installing all the plectra before making a decision. Agreed that the 16' does add character in certain circumstances.

The 16' strings are wound all the way to the top. Those "alloy" strings have a steel core with alloy or something else. The wound strings go all the way to top end of the string choir.

When I finish the plectra installation I will report back on how it is sounding.

Don

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-15-2015 04:15
From: Michael Gamble
Subject: Challis revisited

Don - Thanks for those photos. This is the most amazing and innovative use of non-standard H'chord materials! Those balance pin mortises, for example - being open ended and of Bakelite. A similar approach to the tail end of the key to enable 'easy' extraction. As for windings on the treble part of the 16' I'll put a really obscure guess in - alloy! That would match with his general thinking!

But how does it sound as an instrument? And (a-propos your suggestion of changing the 16' to a second 8') - but before you go along this route, how does the treble end of this rank sound? As I mentioned earlier the Goble 16' (have one at Glyndebourne) sounds very distinctively 'fluty' at the top end - a sound I would be loath to lose. I assume the strings at the top end are not covered?

I take it the bracing is welded alloy - looks like it. 
------------------------------
Michael Gamble
semi retired
Brighton
01273813612
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2015 21:48
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

As promised, attached are some pictures of the Challis. Below are comments and questions for some of the pictures. Please do not look too closely at my messy old shop area! It is a work in progress but only higher powers know when it will be finished. :-) The one thing I miss about Ithaca College is the shop!

Bridge/Bass – this gives you a good look at the difference in the diameter of the 16’ vs. 8’.

BridgeRepair – an interesting repair that looks to be done a long time ago. The bridge failed at the front pins.

FrameBracing – just amazing!

FrontEnd – shows the damper jacks installed and a few plectra jacks.

KeyBackEnd – taking a cue from Fred and used Teflon powder on the bushing.

Keybed – yes, it would have been nice if were removable. This shot also shows the Bakelite bushing for the tuning pins.

Lid – note the water stain to the right on the front fly. Can anyone give advise on how to remove or lighten the stain without refinishing the whole thing?

Pins&Registers - Note on the pictures that show the tuning pins; the pins corresponding to the sharps are nickel plated and the naturals have blued pins.

Pins16’ – This is in the treble where the brass wrapped strings change to another wrapping. Can anyone guess what that wrapping might be? Iron Perhaps?

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------

Hi Richard,

I have heard of the Benn instruments but have never seen one. Good information in case I run across one! From what I have seen and read over the years, the later Challis instruments were improvements over his earlier harpsichords. This is my experience and I'm sure others will have differing opinions. This harpsichord was built in 1971. (Challis passed on in 1974) As I mentioned in other posts, I found the possibilities of a pleasing tone for this instrument. We will see when I have the plectra installed. After setting Delrin plectra on all choirs for middle C, I found the touch to be very good. It is a bit tricky to get the timing on all the plectra and damper jacks but it worked well for this one note. I am taking encouragement on that!

Thanks for your opinion about keeping the 16'. I'm still on the fence.

Don

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-15-2015 13:04
From: Richard West
Subject: Challis revisited

Don,

This instruments reminds me of a harpsichord built by Brad Benn from the Twin Cities. It was purchased for the University of Nebraska back in the 70s before I took the staff position there. Igor Kipnis was invited to play the inaugural concert. The report was that he didn't like the instrument which was sort of a slap in the face of one of the piano faculty who had taken it upon himself to be the main harpsichord guy in the department. The reason I mention that story is because the Challis and the Benn seem to represent a movement in the 60s and 70s to try to "improve" the harpsichord and make it modern. That movement seemed to fall apart in the face of performers who were more interested in playing historically accurate instruments to recreate the original sound and experience that composers and players had in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. That performance practice movement is still at work and we see builders going to some lengths to build instruments in the original period style.

As the guy who was in charge of maintaining the Benn, I could see why the improved instruments had some advantages, but I could also understand the resistance to making instruments that didn't perhaps fit the music. I really didn't like taking care of the Benn very much. It was little touchy and all the mechanical designs fell a little short. Perhaps that's what contributed to the belief that the new and improved versions of the harpsichord weren't really improvements.

I'd suggest that you approach the instrument as a historical instrument for preservation purposes and keep the 16 foot stop. If you try to update the instrument, you might lose the instrument that Challis was trying to create and that might be a real loss to posterity.

FYI, the Benn is still at UNL as far as I know. By the time I retired and Paul Williams took over, the instrument really needed overhauling. It was also a good workhorse instrument for use in student recitals in spite of its quirkiness.

Richard West

As promised, attached are some pictures of the Challis. Below are comments and questions for some of the pictures. Please do not look too closely at my messy old shop area! It is a work in progress but only higher powers know when it will be finished. :-) The one thing I miss about Ithaca College is the shop!

Bridge/Bass – this gives you a good look at the difference in the diameter of the 16’ vs. 8’.

BridgeRepair – an interesting repair that looks to be done a long time ago. The bridge failed at the front pins.

FrameBracing – just amazing!

FrontEnd – shows the damper jacks installed and a few plectra jacks.

KeyBackEnd – taking a cue from Fred and used Teflon powder on the bushing.

Keybed – yes, it would have been nice if were removable. This shot also shows the Bakelite bushing for the tuning pins.

Lid – note the water stain to the right on the front fly. Can anyone give advise on how to remove or lighten the stain without refinishing the whole thing?

Pins&Registers - Note on the pictures that show the tuning pins; the pins corresponding to the sharps are nickel plated and the naturals have blued pins.

Pins16’ – This is in the treble where the brass wrapped strings change to another wrapping. Can anyone guess what that wrapping might be? Iron Perhaps?

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------

Wow! It seems he never stopped.

The Challis I maintained was just a 2x8' with a wood soundboard.

This one is frighteningly over-the-top.

------------------------------
Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
704-536-7926
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 10-14-2015 21:48
From: Donald McKechnie
Subject: Challis revisited

As promised, attached are some pictures of the Challis. Below are comments and questions for some of the pictures. Please do not look too closely at my messy old shop area! It is a work in progress but only higher powers know when it will be finished. :-) The one thing I miss about Ithaca College is the shop!

Bridge/Bass – this gives you a good look at the difference in the diameter of the 16’ vs. 8’.

BridgeRepair – an interesting repair that looks to be done a long time ago. The bridge failed at the front pins.

FrameBracing – just amazing!

FrontEnd – shows the damper jacks installed and a few plectra jacks.

KeyBackEnd – taking a cue from Fred and used Teflon powder on the bushing.

Keybed – yes, it would have been nice if were removable. This shot also shows the Bakelite bushing for the tuning pins.

Lid – note the water stain to the right on the front fly. Can anyone give advise on how to remove or lighten the stain without refinishing the whole thing?

Pins&Registers - Note on the pictures that show the tuning pins; the pins corresponding to the sharps are nickel plated and the naturals have blued pins.

Pins16’ – This is in the treble where the brass wrapped strings change to another wrapping. Can anyone guess what that wrapping might be? Iron Perhaps?

------------------------------
[Don] [McKechnie,] [RPT]
[Piano Technician]
[dmckech@ithaca.edu]
[Home 607.277.7112]
------------------------------