The first step was just to round off the thumbnails we cut earlier.
Then, the key would be tested to see how loosely it fit into the rack.
Invariably, they were too tight. So, we used a soft charcoal pencil and rubbed the coal onto the thumbnail on both sides. Then, after putting it back into the rack and moving the key up and down, the charcoal became reflective wherever it was still rubbing inside the slot:
That gave us a clue exactly where it still needed to be sanded. That way, we wouldn't accidentally sand too much and make the key too loose.
Here it is after 45 painstaking keys!
Hi, I'm making a clavichord,too.
ReplyDeleteWhich drawing is your clavichord based on ?
Your blog is fantastic! I'm building a clavichord from a kit from Spain, but the photographs are awful, small photocopies of black and white 'photos. Your pictures are marvelous, large and in clour But when can we start again at day 22, I want to know how to string my instrument and don't want to break any of those fine brass strings and I don't knox if we should remove the overwind copper of the bass strings were they are attached to the tuning pins and hitch pins. Kindest regards, many, many thanks, Julian Searle-Page from Corsica
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ReplyDeleteHello,Michael and Kyla.First,sorry because my english is not very good,I´m a spanish amateur harpsichordist.I´m very happy with your blog because I´ve bought a KOS clavichord and I´ll begin my clavichord this summer,now I´m studing harpsichord and I´ve not a lot of time.Your photos are helping me a lot.This clavichord is my second instrument I make.I made past summer an Ottavino Spinet,and I´ve got a Rainer Schütze harpsichord and a great J.A. Hass clavichord(copy).You note I fall in love with this instruments.I hope your instrument sounds nice.I´ll follow your blog with a lot interest.Regards.
ReplyDeleteMarco fromn Spain.