How I restored a piano in 9 months

If we’re talking about a laptop, then leaving it alone for a couple of years would do little damage: your battery will be dead, but you can quickly charge it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work the same for a musical instrument such as a piano.

In August 2019, I found an old piano that seemed to be forgotten about. A bit of context here, my primary role at work is as a Principal Software Engineer (Keyword Software). I like to explore other topics in-depth with my hobbies. This piano restoration project is one of them.

Time spent

Duration (hours)

Tuning                                          8
Jack springs                                    30
Rebushing the keys                              40
Key dip and key level adjustments               20
Keytops restoration                             20
Pedal adjustments                               1
Hammer shaping and cleanup                      12
Whippen flanges restoration                     16
Action adjustment                               60
Hammer butt springs replacement                 80
Damper springs replacement                      80
Let-off regulating buttons replacement          3
Hammer rail cloth replacement                   2
Balance rail pin cleaning and polishing         16
Replacing the keyboard felt                     3
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