Pianotech

  • 1.  Router bits for beading

    Member
    Posted 04-08-2019 19:34
    Hello all -

    I am rebuilding a fine old 1893 upright piano which I received absent a music desk. I've looked online at other similar pianos for sale (used, for rebuilding) and notice that they also often lack the music desk, presumably because the thin wood breaks at the hinges after 50 years or so of use or abuse. SO, I need to create a new music desk for the piano.

    Do any of you know of a current router bit maker who produces a router bit that would cut, say, about 8 shallow beads in approximately 1.25" width of materials? This would be similar to the bead pattern on my 1918 Steinway A-3 grand and is likely a similar bead pattern to the one of the original piano that I am rebuilding.

    Any ideas? Have any of you attempted to fabricate an old music desk for an upright piano?

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    Dave Hankin
    Trinidad, CA


  • 2.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Posted 04-08-2019 20:04
    Could you supply a picture of something like you might want for that upright?  We service a chain of music stores and they salvage those kinds of case parts and pieces.  They might accidentally have something similar to what you need.  Sorry about not having info about a router bit, though.  Just an idea, is all.

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    Ted Rohde
    Central Illinois
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  • 3.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-08-2019 20:52
    Hi David, I have a three bladed affair that is spun by my table saw.  I think it's a Craftsman tool.  Sets of bits can be purchased to achieve the results you're looking for.  Decades ago I used it to do the very thing you're describing for the part just below the music rest on a grand music rack.  Different bits create different results.  Set up is about 45 minutes to an hour including test cuts.  Your results may vary.  One pass is all that's needed.  Good luck.

    Lar

    Working the gravy zone for the rest of my days.

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    Larry Fisher
    Owner, Chief Grunt, Head Hosehead
    Vancouver WA
    360-256-2999
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  • 4.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Member
    Posted 04-08-2019 21:26
    Larry - That's a fascinating idea! I've never seen or heard of anything like that, but it certainly seems "possible" and it would change a potentially dangerous routing task to something analogous to a very simple use of a stacked dado blade set. I will check into that and may get back in touch.

    Ted - I'm making the music desk out of some highly figured mahogany in hopes of roughly matching the music desk up with the very beautiful "flame mahogany" veneer of the piano.

    Dave





  • 5.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-09-2019 02:12

    there are some tools available if you search for "wood beading for furniture cutting tools"

    router bits:
    https://www.infinitytools.com/ssearch?q=beading

    old school tools:
    http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=32679&cat=41182



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    Steven Rosenthal
    Honolulu HI
    808-521-7129
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  • 6.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-09-2019 08:02
    Another possibility for a one off item like you are needing is to basically cut your own knife into the profile you desire and draw it along the wood like a hand plane.  You would need a v shape with the curves contoured onto both sides as your radius desires.  Affix this to a board with a moveable fence and then plane the groves into your stock.  Once the first row is complete you move the fence and plane the next one.  This is referred to as "scratch stock" in the furniture repair business.  It really doesn't take long to get a nicely beaded board as you are needing.  I'll post a picture later of the one I made years ago.

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    Norman Cantrell
    Piano Clinic
    Lawton OK
    580-355-5003
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  • 7.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Registered Piano Technician
    Posted 04-09-2019 08:10
    Better than my photos here is a youtube video on how to make a scratch stock holder.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7BJQjuDVgU  There are other videos on how to make the blades but basically a flat piece of steel with the profile you want and sharpened on the edges gets you down the road pretty fast.

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    Norman Cantrell
    Piano Clinic
    Lawton OK
    580-355-5003
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  • 8.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Member
    Posted 04-09-2019 12:15
    Thanks, Steve -

    I had checked out infinity (and have one of their fine dado blade sets), but there bits are all typical "molding" size, so far as I could judge - i.e., beads are two wide and two deep.

    The LeeValley hand tools are neat. I may check into that as I'll bet that's how things were done back in 1893.

    Dave





  • 9.  RE: Router bits for beading

    Posted 04-09-2019 12:05
    I'm wondering if a traditional "scratch stock" could potentially work here (if I'm picturing things correctly). Long story short, if you;re not familiar w these, a scratch stock is essentially a cabinet scraper, shaped to the profile. Can obviously be made from a scraper, but I've also made them in the past from old saw blades, etc.
    Regarding router bits, etc. Eagle AMerica is one place that has an extensive assortment of specialty profiles, including beading bits of various ilk.

    JF

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    John Fabel  IDSA
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