Current & Recent Projects
Schiller 5 ft Grand #82050 (1930)
 
1 - Action removed. Pins area & keybed cleaned.

1 - Action removed. Pins area & keybed cleaned.
2 - Soundboard cleaned.

2 - Soundboard cleaned.
3 - Fallboard hinge screws loose, should be replaced.

3 - Fallboard hinge screws loose, should be replaced.
4 - String heights measured & recorded.

4 - String heights measured & recorded.
EVALUATION:
Board & Bridges--Normal wear for a 93-year-old piano: Board has some imperfections, some tuning pins have low torque.
Action--Action screws loose. Hammers poorly aligned to strings. Damper lift tabs worn. Plastic keytops have not been reshaped to the keys, knock against each other when the piano is played. Regulation adjustments required, esp. Hammer blow distance, letoff & drop.
IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED:
In Owner's Home--Clean cabinet interior, strings, keybed. Measure & record string heights.
At Piano Shop—Recondition action (clean & tighten screws, align hammers to strings, replace defective parts, reshape keytops to keys). Regulate keydip, letoff, drop, using new felt and paper underkey punchings.
In Owner's Home—Re-install pedal lyre. Improve regulation of dampers. Tune.
Selected pictures of the step-by-step improvement process
CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE, THEN CLICK "CLOSE" TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE
Original Manufacturer of this brand-name--The piano described in this reconditioning project was assembled and sold by Raudenbush & Sons on St. Paul, MN using a Schiller plate from the Schiller Piano Co.

Established--1892 by F.G. Jones at Oregon, Ill.

Other brand-names used by this manufacturer--Chute & Butler, Cable, Bachman, Conover, Kingsbury, Wellington.
From: Pierce Piano Atlas, 12th Edition (2008, Larry Ashley Publisher, Albuquerque, NM).

Note: To obtain the age of your piano and details about the manufacturer, click: Pierce Piano Atlas--"the world's most authoritative publication on piano manufacturers, past and present." To learn how a piano works and how to go about buying one, we encourage you to purchase The Piano Book.
A - EVALUATION
For contact information, go to the "Home Page"
B - IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED AT PIANO SHOP
Selected pictures of the step-by-step improvement process
CLICK PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE, THEN CLICK "CLOSE" TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE
5 - Action, pedal lyre & fallboard loaded in rear of truck.

5 - Action, pedal lyre & fallboard loaded in rear of truck.
6 - Action placed on regulating table in shop.

6 - Action placed on regulating table in shop.
7 - Fallboard hinge screw holes plugged, larger screws installed.

7 - Fallboard hinge screw holes plugged, larger screws installed.
8 - Pedal lyre dismantled, cleaned, felt bushings replaced, right pedal screws tightened.

8 - Pedal lyre dismantled, cleaned, felt bushings replaced, right pedal screws tightened.
9 - Pedal lyre re-assembled.

9 - Pedal lyre re-assembled.
10 - Stack removed. Replacements for damaged backchecks to be ordered.

10 - Stack removed. Replacements for damaged backchecks to be ordered.
11 - Keys removed. Thinner felt punchings will be installed to correct hammer blow distance & key height.

11 - Keys removed. Thinner felt punchings will be installed to correct hammer blow distance & key height.
12 - New felt underkey punchings installed.

12 - New felt underkey punchings installed.
13 - Backcheck weights installed for complete regulation.

13 - Backcheck weights installed for complete regulation.
14 - Several loose keytops reglued.

14 - Several loose keytops reglued.
15 - Key heights regulated with paper underkey punchings.

15 - Key heights regulated with paper underkey punchings.
16 - Key dip regulated.

16 - Key dip regulated.
Schiller 5 ft Grand #82050 (1930)
Medium Brown Walnut Case. Reconditioned, regulated, tuned in June, 2023 for the current owner in Blaine, MN.
17 - Keytops are too close to each other--need to be reshaped to keys.

17 - Keytops are too close to each other--need to be reshaped to keys.
18 - Keytops shaped to keys with flush edge router bit.

18 - Keytops shaped to keys with flush edge router bit.
19 - Space between sharps and naturals is increased by filing inside corners of keytops.

19 - Space between sharps and naturals is increased by filing inside corners of keytops.
20 - Cracked keys are reglued & clamped.

20 - Cracked keys are reglued & clamped.
21 - Hammer heads reshaped with dremel sander and flat hand-held sander.

21 - Hammer heads reshaped with dremel sander and flat hand-held sander.
22 - New damper lifter felt installed.

22 - New damper lifter felt installed.
23 - Hammer blow distance, letoff & drop regulated.

23 - Hammer blow distance, letoff & drop regulated.
24 - Regulating rail removed, cleaned, checked, re-installed.

24 - Regulating rail removed, cleaned, checked, re-installed.
25 - Six worn backchecks replaced with new

25 - Six worn backchecks replaced with new
26 - Action, pedal lyre, parts, regulating table loaded into truck

26 - Action, pedal lyre, parts, regulating table loaded into truck
27 - Tools & cleaning supplies loaded into truck

27 - Tools & cleaning supplies loaded into truck
28 - Table assembled in home, action placed on table

28 - Table assembled in home, action placed on table
29 - Spurlock damper lift guage used to set height of felt damper lift tabs

29 - Spurlock damper lift guage used to set height of felt damper lift tabs
30 - Screwdriver raises height of pedal lyre at during re-installation

30 - Screwdriver raises height of pedal lyre at during re-installation
31 - Spurlock damper lift guage guides re-setting height of damper lift tabs in piano

31 - Spurlock damper lift guage guides re-setting height of damper lift tabs in piano
B - IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED AT PIANO OWNER'S HOME
32 - As needed, damper wires cleaned with steel wool.

32 - As needed, damper wires cleaned with steel wool.
33 - Following tuning and re-assembly, piano owner plays her favorite music

33 - Following tuning and re-assembly, piano owner plays her favorite music