Showing category "what-im-making-blog" (Show all posts)
Here is a picture showing the support and glueing of the soundboard and bass end of the bridge. I love these sort of repairs because they are always a challenge!  This next photo shows the temporary support under the soundboard:  ..and this shows the clamping and screws that stabilise the bass end of the nameboard and wrestplank.  I now have to add additional braces inside the case under the soundboard and two more gap spacers. Photos to follow! What else would I do when not sailing? ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Monday, April 8, 2013,
In :
sailing
Have you ever wondered what I do in my spare time? The Shearwater sailing season of weekly
races continued last Sunday with two firsts for Somerset sailors. Margaret and
Geoff Pell came first in the morning pursuits race and Roger Devereux, also from
Frome, and his crew Peter Barnes took the first place in the afternoon points
race. The conditions for sailing were perfect and it was great to see some
sunshine at last. Our next club event is a day of racing open to all
Topper and Come... Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Thursday, March 7, 2013,
In :
Second-hand
Time for a new idea - the student harpsichord at a real student price: Makers, from Bizzi to Booth often offer a single 8' strung harpsichord as a starter instrument. Their prices start at about £3,500 I am planning to refurbish two Zuckermann Italian harpsichords with one register, one set of replacement strings, refurbished jacks and new dampers and plectra. By choosing to set them up with only one register I can string them slightly more heavily than would be safe with two registers and s... Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Saturday, November 17, 2012,
In :
sailing
Sorry for any delay in emails, etc, but I've been sailing the tall ship 'Stavros' from Plymouth to the Canaries. It was a great trip! Find out more on www.tallships.org . Continue reading ...
The Italian Harpsichord, with me since may, has sold. I'm now working to get the English Bentside spinet c.1770 ready for the Early Music Show, Greenwich. For those with less expensive tastes, I now have a Morley single for £1,100! The Flemish Zuckermann is doing lots of hirings. Sir James and Lady Galway (Flutes) said they loved it and it's booked in for L'Armonico in Yeovil and something at St Georges Bristol. A perfect hiring instrument! Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Monday, September 10, 2012,
In :
working on...
I'll be running the Early Music Shop's Keyboard Instruments stand as usual this year. It's in the Greenwich Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Each year visitors experience problems with transport on Sunday, so this year it's running from Thursday to Saturday, 8th-10th November. Details on
http://www.earlymusicshop.com/?gclid=CN6EvNLUq7ICFQfMtAodLlAAdQ Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Thursday, August 2, 2012,
In :
New build
Finally, I've got time to make the soundboard! I'll have it in the instrument next week. I've been busy hiring instruments and fitting in servicing, etc. All good fun. The weather isn't helping tunings at Iford Manor - the venue is virtually outside and the damp is seeping in....Check the pitch of your harpsichord and make sure it doesn't go sharp. Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Monday, May 28, 2012,
In :
Weather
The Keene and Brackley spinet kit has become a finished Storrs bentside spinet. This will save me making the kit myself, so I can start to finish my English harpsichord instead. A newly acquired Zuckermann Flemish single has be booked up for concert hirings - the conductor at Cirencester's B-minor Mass found it too loud for the modern orchestra and large choir! There is another hiring at Bath Abbey in June. If you're like us, the windows are opened in this hot weather and plenty of cool, humi... Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Thursday, April 12, 2012,
In :
New build
Ready for delivery at last:  Continue reading ...
Awaiting repair after a dry spell in church over Christmas....  Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Friday, March 23, 2012,
In :
New build
I'm just painting the third Flemish case this year! All three have also had printed papers put inside. They look lovely! If you'd like me to 'Pimp Your Harpsichord' (look up 'Pimp My Ride' on youtube if you don't know what I'm on about) just drop me an email. Continue reading ...
This signature can be seen using my new probe. It is on the underside of the soundboard near the treble section of the bridge. Further details of this spinet are on my Home Page. An exciting find.   Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Tuesday, February 21, 2012,
In :
Second-hand
Very exciting. I'm waiting for my newly ordered endoscope to arrive so that I can look inside this antique spinet. Pictures to follow soon! Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Saturday, February 4, 2012,
In :
Hirings
Constant snow since I delivered the harpsichord today. Was told by the organiser how the last person to hire them a harpsichord left it unattended on it's trolley. It rolled off the pavement and out onto the busy street before toppling over with a tinkle. I hope I don't add another sad story to the collection. Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Wednesday, February 1, 2012,
In :
Second-hand
I've just bought an Italian harpsichord which has been superbly made from a Zuckermann kit in about 1976. I made my first harpsichord from the same type of kit in 1973 and have a soft spot for these little instruments. The kits were made by Wallis Zuckermann when he retired to Devon and needed something to do. It is said that one summer in a garden shed will finish off any harpsichord. It is particularly true of these instruments because they were made from ply wood in order to keep down co... Continue reading ...
Jenny has just finished this Ruckers copy:  What you see in the background is her workshop, complete with the silk painting steamer on the left. This one is for the Storr's harpsichord which is reserved for a customer. Lucky them! Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Friday, January 6, 2012,
In :
working on...
I'm starting the New Year with two cases to paint, a huge Feldberg with a 16-foot to renovate, a Flemish Single to make from a Storrs kit (Jenny has started to paint the soundboard) and, once I'm finished with that, the Clayson and Garret double to service. It's a great time to hide in a nice warm workshop! Don't forget to check your humidity if it gets very cold again. Below 45% and you may well be making more work for some harpsichord maker.... Continue reading ...
Heating cold winter air can cause very low humidity levels (30 - 40% rather than the usual 50-65% we see in the summer). Timber shrinks across the grain when the humidity is low and this often caused dampers to be less effective in the winter. Let me explain: When we heat cold winter air it becomes very dry and dries timber. Since harpsichords and spinets tend to be made with the wood grain running round the case, the case height will often shrink by as much as 1-2mm. This reduces the distance... Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Friday, December 16, 2011,
In :
New build
The Zuckermann Flemish is finished except for case painting. It's been to three hirings this month and is looking for a nice home - and a bit of a rest!  Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Saturday, December 3, 2011,
In :
New build
Stringing is finished and voicing started. 7 days until the first performance with Cirencester Choral Society. Continue reading ...
Having found that many people have difficulty with replacing strings on tuning pins with no holes, here is an system that may help, especially with the thicker strings: Make a device for winding a coil at the end of your wire onto which you can screw the tuning pin. The pin you use for winding should be about 1-2mm narrower than the tuning pin diameter. This is used as shown in the photo, choosing the thinner axle for the 4ft pins and the thicker on for the 8ft. Put the end of the wire through... Continue reading ...
Many people have problems with this, so this is what Zuckermann Harpsichords had to say about it in 1976: There is a larger image of this scan on my 'Harpsichord repairs page.  Continue reading ...
The soundboard has a light coat of shellac. It's fun deciding where to put the bugs and the birds. Jenny is tracing the flowers lightly onto the soundboard.  Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Sunday, November 20, 2011,
In :
New build
 You can see loops of masking tape on the sound-bars and cut-off bar. I'm about the put the soundboard in, press it down on the tape and carefully lift it out so I can mark out and glue the bars in place on the soundboard.  It occurred to me to wonder how this was done 250 years ago. Then I realised that I'd put the base-board on too soon. Without a bottom, one can mark round the bars easily enough. Sequence - that's what it's all about. Continue reading ...
Posted by Peter Barnes on Sunday, November 20, 2011,
In :
New build
Day ten on this project and I've got the soundboard in. The case was all separate parts, the soundboard needed thinning, everything is fitted individually. Never stop until you have run out of clamps for gluing jobs!  Continue reading ...
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About Me
Harpsichord Maker, restorer, repairer and vendor.
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Thank you very much Jenny! Have a lovely time in Berlin.
