Peter Tkach

Harpsichord Maker

#18 Sunbathing

Contents

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#1 Tail to Spine
#2 Front End
#3 Bentside
#4 Corner Keys
#5 Braces
#6 Sound Board Slats
#7 Glued Soundboard Slats
#8 Fitted Soundboard
#9 Rough-cut Bridges
#10 Go-bars
#11 Bridges Glued to Soundboard
#12 Lid and Flap Are Fitted
#13 Liners
#14 Six Upper Frames
#15 Bottom Fitted
#16 Soundboard Bottom
#17 Gilding the Rose
#18 Sunbathing
#19 Soundboard and Go-bars
#20 In the White
#21 Key Blanks and Frames
#22 Marked Key Blanks
#23 Natural Platings
#24 Keys Are Cut
#25 Arcades Are Glued
#26 Natural Keys
#27 Keys Mounted
#28 Back of Keys
#29 Instrument Strung
#30 Sharp Keys
#31 All Keys Finished and Mounted
#32 Completed Keyboards
#33 Case Moldings Gilded

The soundboard is dried for several hours in a bright sun before installation. The resulting shrinkage (one-sixteenth to three-thirtyseconds of an inch) can actually be measured across the front of the soundboard. If the board is not dried before installation, cracks are likely to appear in dry winter conditions.