Showcasing a Chickering 145 grand

[Regi Hedahl]

I just finished this 1935 Chickering 145 grand 5'8" and made a recording for you all to hear. There are very few decent recordings of nice sounding Chickering's so here you go.

https://youtu.be/qTm2_YPU5dw

I redid the action using Ronsen Weikert hammers mounted on WNG shanks & flanges with 9 mm knuckles. I lightened the new hammers quite a bit more than the originals and took out a bunch of lead weights when I rebalanced the action. I kept the numerically high action ratio as I like it this way. This action regulates out with a 9.3 mm keydip at 48 mm blow distance for very fast escapement.

I refinished the case using Tung oil finish. It's a closed pore finish as well. The piano had been owned by a school at one time so the case was a bit beat up so I repaired the attrocities and used Tung oil finish. Yes, the piano was refinished right in that exact spot seen in the photo. I wanted to see if it was possible to refinish a piano in a living room and come out looking nice.

The top end of the piano is original except for new bass strings put in at some point of its life. Of course, this is a West coast piano so the soundboard has no cracks and is still lively in the killer octave.

The piano will be delivered to the customer next week in Wyoming. He had quite a few requirements (5'8", brown wood, American piano, nice sound, easy to play action) so I came up with this piano.

Regi

[David Boyce]

Oh! I just listened to this on Youtube last night, and was going to
comment, but it was very late.  The piano sounds super, and the Youtube
video doesn't show as well as your photo does, how nice the tung oil
finish is.  I think the tone with those Ronsen hammers is lovely. And as
always, a pleasure to listen to your playing, Regi.

I noted your previous comments about the declining feasibility of earing
a full-time living from piano work, in your area.  This seems to be a
pattern in so many places now.  There simply isn't sufficent demand for
the skillset. And you have a very complete skillset, Regi - you do full
regulation work, case refinishing, the lot, as well as the tuning. And
you are a good player.  Nobody else in your neck of the woods can offer
anything better, I am sure.  The problem is with the demand, not the
supply.  And there is really only so much we can do to CREATE demand.  I
ran into similar challenges in my area when I tried to build piano work
up from an additional income stream to a fulltime living.  In the end, I
decided I had to go back into teaching.  I only know one person here who
makes a fulltime living from piano work, without another income source,
and he is employed by the music conservatoire.

A few months ago a very nice lady from a place quite distant from me got
in touch to ask if I would go there, as her previous tuner had vanished
off the map.  When I totalled up the time involved, and fuel costs, I
realised that I would be working for an hourly rate well below the
National Minimum Wage. Happily the lady offered financial compensation
to make the trip worthwhile, and was pleased with my service.  But not
everyone is so amenable. It's all so problematical.  In all conscience,
one would have to advise anyone thinking of going into piano work, to
ponder very carefully indeed.

All the best with whatever new directions you decide to go in, Regi.

Best regards,

David B.

[Regi Hedahl]

David,

You hit the nail on the head. My area would be excellent for a retiree who would like to tune a few pianos per week for a little extra change in their pockets and live in an area with warm climate. I could even sell them my house for cheap and include a whole bunch of nice pianos. However, I've got 25 to 35 working years ahead. I have a degree in electrical engineering and 7 years of experience that would seem like it would be logical to fall back on but it's extra difficult to get back into the saddle after being out for 10 years. However, there seems to be lots of opportunities for medical careers for the aging population. I much rather fix pianos at this point but I guess if I can fix pianos, I will also be able to treat peoples ailments.

Regi

[Terry Farrell]

Hi Regi - the case finish looks nice! It looks like mahogany veneers on the case. I’m curious what you used to fill the pores.

Terry Farrell

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[David Boyce]

What about Music Therapy, Regi?  Is that something you could get into?

Hot climate and a few pianos a week sounds great to me!  I must say,
since being back in Scotland, I miss the Saudi Arabian sunshine!  I know
what you mean about the difficulty of rejoining a career path left
behind.  My teaching background is in Further Education - the community
college sector. I took a Voluntary Severance deal and left, in 2011. 
The sector is still shrinking in Scotland (i believe over 2000 staff,
mostly teachers, have left Scotland's colleges in the last four years). 
The week before last, I had an interview for the college cluseter that
now operates the college where I used to teach.  The interview was for
"bank staff" - ie, to be added to a list of available teachers - for
teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).  A curt email
this week told me I had been unsuccessful.  Now, it wasn't a bad
interview at all.  And I am amply qualified, and experienced in ESOL. 
I'm certain the reason I was refused is that they would have to place me
(legally) at the top of the salary scale, and also I know the ropes in
Further Education and can't be pushed around.  They want newbies in
their 20s, I think, whom they can place at the bottom of the salary
scale, and who don't know their rights.  That's my opinion anyway.  So
instead, I am sticking with Supply teaching (substitute) in high
schools, which is fine.  I have accepted that I won't ever get back into
Further Education.

As far as piano work goes, in my part of the world, since the 2008
recession, there just isn't the money floating around. Local Authorities
are cash-strapped and aren't getting municipal and school pianos
regularly maintained as they once did.  And with many home pianos, it's
once a decade instead of twice a year (with some honourable
exceptions).  I guess that in many parts of the USA, and other
countries, it's much the same.

Best regards,

David B.

[Regi Hedahl]

Hi Terry,

The case on this piano is ribbon mahogany. The pores on this piano are filled with polyurethane. Someone had refinished the case by brushing on polyurethane and it looked aweful. You could see the brush marks and partially filled pores. I simply sanded it down smooth, fixed all the attrocities and then applied Tung oil finish. It's a bit of a learning curve and I'm still perfecting this refinishing technique but so far, I think it's going to be a winner.

Regi

[Joseph Garrett]

The neat thing about Tung Oil is that it is renewable. I've been using it on my tool handles and my major regulation bench that has 2" thick laminated Maple top. About once a year I clear it off and give it a good scrub with soap and water with a Brillo pad. Let it dry and then re-apply the Tung Oil.
Of course one is not going to do that with the piano, but a thorough cleaning and re-application is possible.
Best,
Joe

Captain of the Tool Police
Squares R I
gpianoworks.com

[Douglas Gregg]

I have salvaged a few pianos that were rather badly alligatored and the owner did not want to pay for refinishing. They were beyond French polishing. The Formby tung oil finish arrested the cracking and seems to have controlled it for now. I has been 5 years now.  I have used tung oil finishes (not pure tung oil) for nearly all my floors and furniture in my house. I love the stuff. My preference is Formby, MInwax, and Waterlox  in that order. Gymseal used to be on my list but that they reformulated with polyurethane. 

Doug Gregg 

[Joseph Garrett]

Doug,

I prefer Hope's. Hard to find these days.

Best,

Joe

[Terry Farrell]

You might want to consider Le Tonkinois varnish - http://solventfreepaint.com/linseed_varnish.htm   http://www.ventspleen.com/le-tonkinois-varnish/

I’ve been using it for years on my boats and other assorted varnished things (including steel!). Flows out (levels) super nice, goes on with a cheap foam brush, and can be recoated years down the road without removal (don’t even have to sand if you don’t want to). It is hard as nails - recommended for flooring - and UV stable. It is a mixture of tung oil and linseed oil - that's it. I just love the stuff. I haven’t tried it on a piano yet, but will likely soon.

[Douglas Gregg]

I like Hopes also but have not seen it for 20 years or so. I thought they were out of business.

Doug Gregg

[Douglas Gregg]

Joe, 

I have seen Hopes 100% tung oil but that is non-hardening. Do you add it to varnish or have you found Hopes Tung oil Finish. 

Another good brand is Gillespies tung oil finish but again, I have not seen it in 30 years. 

Doug Gregg

[Allied PianoCraft]

You can find Hope’s on Amazon.

Al -