Small, weird world. was Lyre, lyre pants on fire or something.

[Alan Barnard]

I just this very day picked up a nice partial rebuild job on a Gulbransen grandette, the first horizontal Gull I've ever seen. I brought the action and lyre home with me, spent the last hour or so repairing the lyre (and shining the pedals--product called "Twinkle" is amazing for that). Then I walk upstairs, open my mail, and the first post I see is about what I was working on this very day! 

Okay, maybe it's not all THAT impressive. 

Wow, did you see that UFO go by?

Alan Barnard
Salem, MO

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: "John Formsma" <formsma at gmail.com>
To: "Pianotech List" <pianotech at ptg.org>
Received: 9/12/2007 2:26:31 PM
Subject: lyre problem


>List,

>Gulbransen fetal grand with (of all things) a PianoDisc.

>Problem is that lyre braces were removed to install PianoDisc, leaving
>no place for OEM or supply house braces.  (The control unit under the
>piano is attached to where the braces normally would be.)  There are
>two screws that hold the lyre in place.  Without the braces, they
>have, of course, stripped out the wood.

>I have two ideas, but don't know if the first one will work long term.

>1) There is plenty of room to add two additional screws.  That's easy
>enough to do, but I'm wondering if those two extra screws will give
>enough support for the lyre.  The two existing screws are toward the
>front side of the lyre block.  Adding the two extra screws toward the
>back of the block might work, but I don't know for sure.  Any guesses?

>2) The other thing is to design some metal braces to go around the
>control unit and screw onto the wood above it.  That is doable, but
>they would have to be welded, and the design of which would take
>significantly more head-scratching.  And trips to a machinist/welder.

>What else am I missing?  Any other options or recommendations?

>Thanks,

>JF