8/12/2023 0 Comments Powered by visuallightboxThe wooden bases of keys must be cleaned and old worn felt inserts replaced with new felt. The key bed must be cleaned, clear coated, new felt attached and the brass pins cleaned and polished. The key bed is a wooden framed system containing brass pins upon which the wooden keys ride, while resting on a base of felt. First, the keys are numbered and removed from the key bed. The valves are adjusted for optimum motion and checked to ensure a proper seal.Īn unrestored organ keyboard is often stained, cracked, has loose or missing ivories or sharps, and assorted problems from age, elements, and/or neglect. The pallet valves are then re-positioned over the guide pins and the retaining springs re-installed. A new strip of felt is applied beside one end of the guide pins. The guide pins are cleaned with steel wool and repaired and secured beneath the soundboard as required. It is important to make sure that the felt and kidskin is flexible, along the outer edges and only glued along the thin center line beneath. Then, the leather and felt between each pallet valve is carefully cut, in order to separate them. Next, glue is applied over the felt, again in the same fashion as before and new leather kidskin is applied and ironed into position. Glue is applied sparingly and only to the very center of each pallet valve and a measured strip of new felt is applied and ironed into place. Then the old worn and often moth eaten felt and stiffened kidskin is removed from the pallet valves and the flat surface of each is sanded. The now exposed flat surface beneath the soundboard and reed cells gets cleaned and sanded smooth. To restore pallet valves, they must be removed carefully from beneath the soundboard and numbered. This allows air to be drawn through the reed cells and brass reeds from the soundboard and bellows system. A pallet valve opens only when the key above it is depressed, pushing a wooden peg against it, causing it to rock slightly from one end. They are held in place with springs and ride along two guide pins each. Here are pictures of the process of restoring the 61 pallet valves, which are wooden valves beneath the soundboard covered with felt and kidskin leather to maintain an airtight seal beneath the reed cells until opened.
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