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23 February 2007: A "Quick" Soundboard repair.
Part 3
***All repairs shown here are for illustration ONLY!!! Classicpiano can not and will not be held liable for any problems that arise for following and utilizing this information!!! By reading this material and/or clicking any follow-up links below, you agree to hold Classicpiano harmless. ***
 Because we do not want to put screw holes in our soundboard, we use these spring loaded rods (commonly known as curtain rods) for pressing the soundboard down toward the rib. They are adjusted to be quite firmly pressed into place. Only the strings over the repair spots need be loosened in order to get the blocks and rods into place.
We use little blocks of wood to hold the bass strings apart so that the spring bars do not marr the bass strings. It also makes it easier to position the pressure block on the soundboard.
Shown placing the spacing block in place above the repair. Latex or Nitrile gloves are always worn when working around the bass strings as any moisture on your fingers translates into corrosion on the bass strings within a few weeks, after the damage has been done. That is why we advise to NEVER touch the bass strings with bare hands, the bass strings will turn black where they been touched, sooner or later.
A close up of the spring bar in action. Spring bar forces the little pressure block in place. The shorter the pressure block the better. A smaller block produces more pressure per square inch than a larger piece of block. Note that this crack has only been separated on one side of the rib, the other side is firm, no need to glue that also. Again, the block does not cover both sides of the crack because it will reduce the pressure applied to the surface if slid directly over the center of the crack (by half).
On the ceiling is a piece of plywood just for this sort of repair. It mounts on the bottom of the rafters at 8 foot above ground. Use of anything less than the thickest plywood will result in uneven pressure, as every additional rod added will try to bend the plywood and it will. 3/4" or 23/32" as it's called will do fine. 1/2" plywood will waste your time and cause much frustration as it will bend to no end.
Part 4 >
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