Harpsichord Making - Soundboard Installation II

Our crew assembles to install another harpsichord soundboard at Kevin Fryer's shop. The instrument is a French double manual harpsichord built from parts supplied by Zuckermann Harpsichords by David DeFord, for harpsichordist Gwen Adams. Installed with hot hide glue it must be put in very quickly!

[@M_m.aang.uxz.1902]

Nice 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

[@queswerte]

You make a very good observation! Yes the blocks are under the 8' bridge and help to encourage the soundboard to crown just a little bit. They push the board up only a small amount, maybe 3 or 4 mm. And of course are removed once the soundboard is set.

[@md95065]

I notice that there were some small wooden blocks taped to the cross braces that look as if they were probably just about under where the 8' bridge would be - is that done in order to encourage the soundboard to curve slightly upwards at that point or, at least, to make sure that it doesn't curve downwards?

[@jimbo2629]

I’ve just watched a Japanese woodwork video and it showed a way bridges may have been cut and planed. The wood was clamped in a vice whose top was at an angle(45’). Using a saw without a back it was sawn off flush leaving a piece of triangular section. I wonder if this is how Rucker’s did it, rather than what is shown in most texts.