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Restoration Book
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Jack H.
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Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 346
Location: Israel

PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Michael Darnton wrote:
Uh, well, if you mean in the 50s sense of running roughshod over the instrument, yes, but now much of the type of work they show is considered butchery. But it is the only book available.


Which parts of it do you consider butchery?

Jack H.
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Michael Darnton
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Joined: 23 Mar 2007
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Location: Chicago

PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Going on memory, at the moment, since I'm 1000 miles from the book: removing half a rib to raise its height 2mm; removing scroll cheeks because of a couple of small screw holes; removing original varnish around cracks to "facilitate" retouching (i.e.: make it impossible to do well). Those are the ones that I remember, and they speak of a whole attitude permeating the book that the original material just isn't that important and is expendible. What's their advice on French polishing? I don't remember, but I can suspect.

In contrast, my friends and I are discussing now whether you should even remove original wood for post patches, or just glue them and hope for the best!
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Jeffrey Holmes
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
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Location: Ann Arbor

PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:02 am    Post subject: Weisshaar book Reply with quote

I don't think French polish is recommended in the book (it's actually criticized), but xylol and toluol are listed as "safer" solvents for cleaning. (!)

I'd add the section on doubling, edge and purfling replacement and chest patching in the heavy handed category... as well as a few other operations.

I think Michael mentioned the '50s in an earlier post... The book does reflect an earlier state of mind concerning restoration, which is why serious questions should be raised and answered before taking on and using what suggested.

Still, if a book were published that contained the old methods used in the Wurlitzer shop or the Hill shop; I'd not pass up the opportunity to read it. Restoration has certainly moved to a more toward conservative approaches over the last several decades... and the field continues to grow and change... which is why it's dangerous to rely on any methods learned through printed materials without training and contact within the field to back things up.
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Michael Darnton
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

But Jeff, the book doesn't come with a warning that says "these are the repair methods of 50 years ago: don't use them, and not everyone who buys the book reads this forum.
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Jeffrey Holmes
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Michael Darnton wrote:
But Jeff, the book doesn't come with a warning that says "these are the repair methods of 50 years ago: don't use them, and not everyone who buys the book reads this forum.


I completely agree... and I've agreed with pretty much everything you've mentioned in this thread... There’s no real argument here… but there's an inherent problem in learning restoration techniques (like many things) from a book in the first place. For example, I certainly wouldn’t suggest that it would be a good idea for a layman attempt to remove a gall bladder using even the most up-to-date medical journal… and the 19th century journals would contain errors and omissions (butchery) that an experienced physician would be able to spot a mile away. They also would contain some valuable, historic, information. I wouldn’t blame the 19th century book for the infection of the wound or the death of the patient. I’d blame the person who relied on it and wasn't qualified to do the job in the first place. Education, in the form of training, experience and research is required to excel in any technical field… restoration included.

Since the Weisshaar book, and other texts, were published, the growth of the web has provided an excellent forum for education... and I think that discussion boards like this one can be very valuable... but there's a good deal of bad information presented throughout the web as well. That doesn't come with a disclaimer either. It’s up to the individual to question what’s presented and search out reliable sources, as well as evaluate his or her own limitations.

The truth is, while I'm sure we'd rather be viewed as a generation that made significant strides to preserve the integrity of these old instruments, it may well be that some of the techniques you and I consider conservative will come under fire by future restorers... it could go as far as (since the value of the top-end of these instruments continue to rise) the meaning of "first do no harm" could, more and more, be simply preservation (not using them).
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Last edited by Jeffrey Holmes on Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:04 am; edited 1 time in total
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