Thread: Help needed-repairing veneer on baby grand piano

Patching in the centre where a piece is missing is tricky but it can be done. The method I have used successfully is to cut the patch in the way I outlined above and use that patch as a templet, laying it over the hole to cut the missing area to the same shape. Cut the patch to the finished shape on top of the hole and remove the broken edges. When cutting, cut with a slightly inward slope so the effect is that the patch wedges into the hole. Using veneer tape over the patched area is advisable. When patched I use a scraper to blend the possible slight height variations between patch and ground. I hope I am making myself plain. It requires practice and patience to get it right. Problem with using araldite or any other epoxy is that the colour is solid and unless you are very skilful with a brush or pen in faking the grain, the patch shows. I did say I've used PVA glue to fix patches but as Astrid has said, hide glue can be reactivated.
Practice is the best way to find out what is best for you. Before I attempted repairs I spent some time practising and had a few hours of frustration Incidently I use a sharp pointed surgical scalpel on veneer repair as the point gives me greater control over cutting and patching, but any modeller's knife with a pointed blade would do.

Remember that modern veneer is much thinner than the older material so that any attempt to match the two is difficult and unless you have had a great deal of experience in this type of repair, I would not advise it.

I have had a good look over the top of this piano, and there does seem to be many repairs like you have all metioned.

I keep hearing from the piano "experts" I have consulted that the only place this instrument should be is at the tip, but for all the dust on top of it when we inspected it, and the prospect of another long and arduous project, and the fact that what I know about pianos you could write on the back of a postage stamp I could not throw out a 100+ year old Grand Piano.

I have since had it reliably dated to 1873-74 so it is 100 years older than I am.

I am not too concerned about it's final value versus the final cost. Lets face it, I have seen some of the amazing work you guys do, and if you started to factor in your time, you wouldn't do it either.

Anyway, I will probably give your suggestions a go first, got nothing to lose.

Cheers

BB what suburb are you in? I would be happy to call in for a cuppa and a chat about the project, not that I am in any way a veneering expert, but it may help to have two brains working on some ideas. Anyway, the offer's there, except I am pretty tied up over the next two weeks with building floats for Myer and trying to design three kitchens....maybe after that?

veneers come in a range of sizes depending if they're roto-cut or sawn from back-cut or quarter-cut logs, I believe. Each piece is around 300-450 wide from memory. The comments about thickness are relevant as modern veneers seem to be around .9mm where I have used/repaired cabinets with up to 2.5mm stuff.

Tell me it has an iron frame .....pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease

LOL...It has an iron frame, however it does not extend over the pin block, like a totally modern piano.

The action is also a little antiquainted however it does operate like a modern piano.

I saw this thing on Ebay on a Friday Evening and arranged to inspect it on Sunday afternoon. Between then I probably spent some 40 hours online trying to learn as much as I could about pianos, and one thing I did was make sure it had an iron frame.

Oh, The Frame...The frame had a massive fracture (no exageration) the section that held the top ten treble keys had totally cracked away from the rest of the frame and was removed as a seperate piece.

To that end the frame has been sent to a cast iron specialist for repair.

As I think I have intimated....I have so jumped in the deep end with no life guard on duty here....but that is how I enjoy life.

Anyways, I'm in East. St. Kilda which is a bit far from Kilmore for just a cuppa, but thank you so much for the offer, it is so nice to have people offer to help as opposed to telling you just to throw it away and not try.

I figure what ever man makes breaks....fortunately we are also smart enough to fix stuff.

heh - I LIVE in Kilmore - as a branding consultant and period kitchen designer I do NO business in Kilmore .... each time I tell someone what I do up here, they think I freeze brand the bums of cows.

I have a client in Highett whom I work with each Wednesday until 2PM so it is all possible .... and as far as how you enjoy life - me too. I love nothing more than making stuff unbearably hard for myself -

understant your outlook re a lovely thing that will go to the tip without some non cost effective TLC
piano restorers are quite rightly telling you that its not worth the effort , but they see things from a commercial point of view.
save the piece if you can

even if you dont make a perfect job it wont end up on the tip and in years to come it may be worth commercial restoration

If you want to patch a hole in the middle of a piece, loosen the veneer around the hole, insert a piece of new veneer under the ragged edges, then cut with a fine sharp blade (razor) through both pieces of veneer, this way you get a perfect fit.
try to find a piece that matches in grain,
the trouble is that matching the grain is almost impossiable and you can see that a patch has been inserted as you have 4 edges to match up with.
whereas if you fill the hole depending on your eye for colour you can fake the grain more naturally.
I'm in brighton ,if you want some help email me
astrid
ps check out the chair i'm restoring for a client in the wood whispering women forum
pps if you need help with photos ask somone on the forum,
they help me all the time

astrid