Pianotech

What type of bridge cap do you use, and why?
Also, what types have you found on pianos, their success or failures, and grain orientation on the bridge? This would be vertical grain orientation for quartersawn, and more horizontal for radial or flatsawn.

I'm preparing to do another bridge soon and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since I tend to use premium quartersawn Hard Maple exclusively.

Chris Chernobieff shared he's seen Boxwood used with great characteristics on old pianos.
I'm also wondering whether I've seen Hornbeam but hard to say.

Material weight and workability are big considerations at work in terms of bridge material, along with strength and acoustic transmission.
Attached is the last one I did in Hard Maple which is workable in terms of notching and drilling. I've gotten experienced and relatively comfortable with it as a material.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Tom Wright, RPT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 7/6/2022 4:12:00 PM
From: Thomas Wright
Subject: Bridge Material


What type of bridge cap do you use, and why?
Also, what types have you found on pianos, their success or failures, and grain orientation on the bridge? This would be vertical grain orientation for quartersawn, and more horizontal for radial or flatsawn.

I'm preparing to do another bridge soon and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since I tend to use premium quartersawn Hard Maple exclusively.

Chris Chernobieff shared he's seen Boxwood used with great characteristics on old pianos.
I'm also wondering whether I've seen Hornbeam but hard to say.

Material weight and workability are big considerations at work in terms of bridge material, along with strength and acoustic transmission.
Attached is the last one I did in Hard Maple which is workable in terms of notching and drilling. I've gotten experienced and relatively comfortable with it as a material.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Tom Wright, RPT
------------------------------

I believe I have seen flat sawn orientation as well. Definitely something to pay attention and think about.
Sometimes it depends on the location of the bridge if I recollect.
Flat sawn might be better for accommodating tight curves in a bridge’s contour where “grain runout” is a problem. Whereas quartersawn may structurally be stronger along straighter lengths of a bridge.
The worst challenge with notching is when the grain runs transversely through the cap and creates a situation where you are notching down hill into the cap but still “against the grain.”
I believe this situation is more likely to occur in flat sawn wood than very good quartersawn wood that has minimal grain runout on the two FACES of the board.


Original Message:
Sent: 7/7/2022 9:35:00 AM
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: RE: Bridge Material

I thought for the notching, the maple cap had to be flat sawn. ?

Dale Erwin wood go to Sacramento when Macbeth hardwoods got in a shipment of maple and pick through it. 

I have some old pin blocks from an upright that is the hardest maple you will find. Dale took apart a Kohler and Chase which was made by the Gable piano company in Chicago. He said even the fallboard (rolled) was maple and he got $400 in cap material from it. Usually I find oak but you have to look at the 2x 4 that the back wheels are  attached to. I cut one of those into a cutoff bar and then realized it was really rock hard maple I had cut up. Then I had to go pay Dale $60 for some cap material. He would have processed my material for free to get half of it,,,, 

Original Message:
Sent: 7/6/2022 4:12:00 PM
From: Thomas Wright
Subject: Bridge Material


What type of bridge cap do you use, and why?
Also, what types have you found on pianos, their success or failures, and grain orientation on the bridge? This would be vertical grain orientation for quartersawn, and more horizontal for radial or flatsawn.

I'm preparing to do another bridge soon and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since I tend to use premium quartersawn Hard Maple exclusively.

Chris Chernobieff shared he's seen Boxwood used with great characteristics on old pianos.
I'm also wondering whether I've seen Hornbeam but hard to say.

Material weight and workability are big considerations at work in terms of bridge material, along with strength and acoustic transmission.
Attached is the last one I did in Hard Maple which is workable in terms of notching and drilling. I've gotten experienced and relatively comfortable with it as a material.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Tom Wright, RPT
------------------------------

No, I take that back. You’re right. If you do flatsawn right, and the grain doesn’t have a tight radius, you can reduce notching into the grain.
I have gone with quartersawn maple for a while because PianoTek sells it and it’s just commonly accepted that it’s the right thing for the job…
But again, I’d love to get a discussion here to help me broaden my horizons before I do another bridge.
Thanks!!


Original Message:
Sent: 7/7/2022 9:35:00 AM
From: Keith Roberts
Subject: RE: Bridge Material

I thought for the notching, the maple cap had to be flat sawn. ?

Dale Erwin wood go to Sacramento when Macbeth hardwoods got in a shipment of maple and pick through it. 

I have some old pin blocks from an upright that is the hardest maple you will find. Dale took apart a Kohler and Chase which was made by the Gable piano company in Chicago. He said even the fallboard (rolled) was maple and he got $400 in cap material from it. Usually I find oak but you have to look at the 2x 4 that the back wheels are  attached to. I cut one of those into a cutoff bar and then realized it was really rock hard maple I had cut up. Then I had to go pay Dale $60 for some cap material. He would have processed my material for free to get half of it,,,, 

Original Message:
Sent: 7/6/2022 4:12:00 PM
From: Thomas Wright
Subject: Bridge Material


What type of bridge cap do you use, and why?
Also, what types have you found on pianos, their success or failures, and grain orientation on the bridge? This would be vertical grain orientation for quartersawn, and more horizontal for radial or flatsawn.

I'm preparing to do another bridge soon and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since I tend to use premium quartersawn Hard Maple exclusively.

Chris Chernobieff shared he's seen Boxwood used with great characteristics on old pianos.
I'm also wondering whether I've seen Hornbeam but hard to say.

Material weight and workability are big considerations at work in terms of bridge material, along with strength and acoustic transmission.
Attached is the last one I did in Hard Maple which is workable in terms of notching and drilling. I've gotten experienced and relatively comfortable with it as a material.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Tom Wright, RPT
------------------------------

Quarter sawn laminated hard maple caps.



------------------------------
Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
Brandon, Florida
terry@farrellpiano.com
813-684-3505
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-06-2022 16:11
From: Thomas Wright
Subject: Bridge Material


What type of bridge cap do you use, and why?
Also, what types have you found on pianos, their success or failures, and grain orientation on the bridge? This would be vertical grain orientation for quartersawn, and more horizontal for radial or flatsawn.

I'm preparing to do another bridge soon and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since I tend to use premium quartersawn Hard Maple exclusively.

Chris Chernobieff shared he's seen Boxwood used with great characteristics on old pianos.
I'm also wondering whether I've seen Hornbeam but hard to say.

Material weight and workability are big considerations at work in terms of bridge material, along with strength and acoustic transmission.
Attached is the last one I did in Hard Maple which is workable in terms of notching and drilling. I've gotten experienced and relatively comfortable with it as a material.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Tom Wright, RPT
------------------------------

Is it difficult to notch a quarter-sawn laminated hard maple cap? Nope!



------------------------------
Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
Brandon, Florida
terry@farrellpiano.com
813-684-3505
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-06-2022 16:11
From: Thomas Wright
Subject: Bridge Material


What type of bridge cap do you use, and why?
Also, what types have you found on pianos, their success or failures, and grain orientation on the bridge? This would be vertical grain orientation for quartersawn, and more horizontal for radial or flatsawn.

I'm preparing to do another bridge soon and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since I tend to use premium quartersawn Hard Maple exclusively.

Chris Chernobieff shared he's seen Boxwood used with great characteristics on old pianos.
I'm also wondering whether I've seen Hornbeam but hard to say.

Material weight and workability are big considerations at work in terms of bridge material, along with strength and acoustic transmission.
Attached is the last one I did in Hard Maple which is workable in terms of notching and drilling. I've gotten experienced and relatively comfortable with it as a material.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Tom Wright, RPT
------------------------------

But HOW do you notch it you ask......  With a power notcher, of course!

I have a nice video of it in action, but I don't seem to be able to load it here. If anyone wants it, email me privately.    terry@farrellpiano.com


------------------------------
Terry Farrell
Farrell Piano Service, Inc.
Brandon, Florida
terry@farrellpiano.com
813-684-3505
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-06-2022 16:11
From: Thomas Wright
Subject: Bridge Material


What type of bridge cap do you use, and why?
Also, what types have you found on pianos, their success or failures, and grain orientation on the bridge? This would be vertical grain orientation for quartersawn, and more horizontal for radial or flatsawn.

I'm preparing to do another bridge soon and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything since I tend to use premium quartersawn Hard Maple exclusively.

Chris Chernobieff shared he's seen Boxwood used with great characteristics on old pianos.
I'm also wondering whether I've seen Hornbeam but hard to say.

Material weight and workability are big considerations at work in terms of bridge material, along with strength and acoustic transmission.
Attached is the last one I did in Hard Maple which is workable in terms of notching and drilling. I've gotten experienced and relatively comfortable with it as a material.
Thanks!

------------------------------
Tom Wright, RPT
------------------------------