After complete disassembly of the action and wind system the first thing was to repair the case. The case is made of pine with a rosewood veneer, a factor which sometimes causes problems because rosewood and pine are very different woods with a significant difference in density. As a result, the pine under the veneer can crack when it ages and dries, and the crack will show in the rosewood veneer on top. Also, if the instrument is exposed to extreme dryness and/or prolonged dampness the veneer can bubble and lift.
So, woods!
Rosewood is a very heavy wood, and was pricey even at this time, so the veneer industry that had learned how to veneer mahogany switched to rosewood. Mahogany and rosewood are quite different, though. Honduras mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) has a Janka hardness of only 900 so it cuts easily. Janka hardness is measured by the amount of pressure it takes to press a steel ball 11.28 mm (7/16") halfway into the wood. Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), by contrast, has a Janka hardness of 2790, certainly not the hardest wood in existence, but significantly harder. The resulting veneer is beautiful but has a tendency toward brittleness which makes it somewhat harder to work with.
Replacing veneer is simply a matter of cutting away the damaged part to clean edges and making a patch that fits in perfectly, then gluing and clamping. If done carefully many veneers can be cut with a pair of sharp scissors. In repairing the veneer on this instrument I used rosewood veneer from a derelict melodeon, an early version of the reed organ. I've also used teak veneer on other instruments if I could find a piece that matches the grain and figuring. Repairing a bubble in veneer can be difficult. It involves slicing through the veneer at the center of the bubble the length of it, and prying up each side so glue can be injected in. Then I put blue painter's tape over the bubble to hold everything in place and I clamp it. I repeated this all over the case. Damage like this is common on instruments and other furniture that are this old.
Brazilian rosewood is a listed species in CITES (Convention on Importation and Trade in Endangered Species) to which the United States is still a member, and international trade is totally banned. That means that the only Brazilian rosewood available for sale in the US is what was here before the ban was enacted. To buy it within the United States is a very expensive venture, with costs about $100 or more a board foot if you can find it (a board foot is the equivalent of a piece of wood 1" thick and a foot square). There are alternatives, though. Bolivian rosewood or Pau Ferro (Machaerium scleroxylon) is very close in appearance although not a true rosewood.
I did not plan to keep Pud's replacement pedals so I made new ones from plywood. I also replaced the pedal board using a section of a piano case I had salvaged. It had a nice burl veneer on it that had some attractive figuring so that worked well. I removed the old pedals and replaced them with the new ones. New linkages on the pedals were necessary since the original ones were damaged by insects. For the linkages I used a wood new to me, rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), which is the tree used to produce rubber. The wood is used for various purposes after the tree has passed its prime for rubber production. It is grown extensively in Asia but is native to Brazil. I have a small supply from my brother who scavanged it from a pallet at work. It's hard, and is easy to work.
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