Well, Ed, this is really getting interesting. Photos attached. There is a big gap between the soundboard and the case along the cheek, but there is absolutely no indication that there was ever a glue joint there - there is no trace of glue or any kind of line indicating previous contact between the board and the rim. The sides of the gap are perfectly parallel to each other, and the soundboard appears to be firmly attached to everything else around there - the belly rail, and the shelf thats visible beneath the board (inner rim?). The belly rail also appears to be solidly attached to the cheek and to the harpsichord bottom - there are three screws in the bottom that appear to attach it to the belly rail. The gap between the soundboard/belly rail and the wresplank measures 36 mm. at the treble end, 36 mm. in the midrange and 37 mm. at the bass end. So, is that "drift" or simply sloppy workmanship? Would it make sense to simply glue a shim into that gap, just in care?
Another problem I found is that the 8' hitchpin rail appears to have separated from the bentside at the treble end. It is tight to the bentside in the midrange, but separates gradually toward the treble end, and there is a glue line on the bentside even with the top of the rail. The soundboard under the rail appears to be firmly attached to the bentside - I stuck a small ruler down there and felt all along the joint. It is pretty solid. So I'll just have to unstring the treble (I'll have to do it anyway in order fix the 4' hitchpin rail) and check the glue joint between the 8' hitchpin rail and the soundboard. Right now it appears that the front edge of that rail hasn't moved. So, again, did the glue join let go, or is it just sloppy workmanship?
Any ideas on how to clamp the hitchpin rails for the glue to dry? (I'm not about to build a go deck... :-) )
Attached photos of 4' hitchpin rail, 8' hitchpin rail, a peek at the soundboard/bellyrail glue joint through the gap and "gap" between soundboard and cheek
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Israel Stein RPT
P.O. Box 68141
Jerusalem, Israel 9168002
510-558-0777
istein248@gmail.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 02-13-2020 10:10
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: "Frozen" register slides
If the soundboard is drifting, you should see a gap or crack along the case. Does the harpsichord have a braid or molding along the case you can lift?
Can you pull the keyboard and jacks and get a camera or phone inside the instrument?
There's probably a hitchpin rail under the soundboard, and if so, it should be mortised into the stretcher for support. If not, maybe you can add a little wedge.
If you can stabilize things, just trim the edge of the soundboard.
You might also add a few gap spacers if there's room between the jacks, some flat brass or aluminum bars to hold the gap open.
If the case or wrestplank are warping and squeezing things tight, maybe you can jack the gap open with bolts or small screw jacks and then add gap spacers.
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Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413
Original Message:
Sent: 02-13-2020 09:50
From: Israel Stein
Subject: "Frozen" register slides
Thanks, Ed
The soundboard or stretcher do not appear to have come loose, but I suppose I would need to let down the string tension completely to know for sure - no? I didn't quite want to do that without taking on the job, but maybe I'll just have to do it, if the owners agree. If it's only treble drift over the years, how does one fix that?
Israel
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Israel Stein RPT
P.O. Box 68141
Jerusalem, Israel 9168002
510-558-0777
istein248@gmail.com
Original Message:
Sent: 02-13-2020 08:33
From: Ed Sutton
Subject: "Frozen" register slides
Has the soundboard and/or the stretcher come loose at the treble end? If the 4' hitchpin rail is not mortised in the casework somehow (below?), it would not be a surprise to find the treble end of the soundboard has come free and is binding the registers. This can also happen when PVA glue lets the soundboard drift under tension over the years.
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Ed Sutton
ed440@me.com
(980) 254-7413
Original Message:
Sent: 02-13-2020 03:52
From: Israel Stein
Subject: "Frozen" register slides
A few days ago I was asked to examine a single-manual Neupert, that had been knocked off its legs a few years ago and fell to the floor. It has since been moved from New York to Jerusalem (yes, that's where I live now) and sat unused for a few years. The tuner who tried to tune it said that strins would not hold tension, even though the tuning pins feel plenty tight enough.
I found that the 4' hitchpin rail has split in half around 2 octaves from the top, and the top part is partially unglued - which explains the above. I didn't see anything else that would explain instability in the rest of the instrument, and the two or three strings I "tuned" in other parts of the harpsichord appeared to hold.
Anyway, the two (brass?) register slides are frozen solidly in place (where the pluck the strings). The hand lever for the 8' and the knee lever for the 4' move in and out of contact with the slides, but they remain stuck - their springs to not seem to be able to move them. Applying sideways pressure by hand or tool does not budge them - they are wedged in pretty solidly. I am wondering if the blow that the instrument sustained shifted something to pinch in on those slides, or maybe it is due to wood swelling? Or some other reason?
I am trying to decide whether or not to try and get this thing working again - it happens to live two block away from my home. The hitchpin rail shouldn't be hard to repair, but does anyone have any ideas about how to free up those register slides?
Israel Stein
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Israel Stein RPT
P.O. Box 68141
Jerusalem, Israel 9168002
510-558-0777
istein248@gmail.com
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