Collard & Collard square piano

[DaveS]

I've recently acquired a Collard & Collard square piano which (mostly) plays but needs a fair bit of cleaning, TLC and tuning.
I haven't started investigating yet (and there are other projects ahead of it) but it would be good to hear from anyone who has restored one.
As far as I can tell the S/N is 28659, but this is hand engraved next to a stamped 1071 and at the bottom of the soundboard is stamped "W.Moutrie"; the label says "late Clementi, Collard & Collard". Researching around the web suggests this was probably made around 1837 - does this seem right?

[Bill Kibby]

My Numbers page...
http://www.pianohistory.info/numbers.html
includes a listing for Collards, and although their numbers are very complicated at times, their main number was hand-written under an imprinted model number. At that time, the main numbers seem to have gone up a thousand per year, and 28,000 would suggest 1835. I am aware of the name Moutrie, but don't remember him working with Collards, although if it is imprinted in the wood, it suggests a senior worker at Collards, so I will see what I can find about him.
There was a William Moutrie whose middle names were William Frederick Collard, and he later used this misleadingly to produce "Collard Moutrie" pianos. We can only assume that his parents named him after a friend or employer.

[DaveS]

Thanks for the reply, Bill. So it would seem that it's nearer to 1835 than 1837; the oldest musical instrument in the house. I'll add some photos of the instrument and the markings.

I've had time, now, to look more closely at it.

• The lower action has 4 octaves and the upper has 2.
• There don't seem to be any splits or other problems.
• All notes play but, although the dampers fall back onto the strings, there is no damping. This may be coupled to my inability to fit the pedal actuated "shaft" - is there a knack?
• There was a seized castor which, from the flat on the bottom of it, had clearly been seized for a very long time. I removed the castor, drilled-out the axle, turned-down the wheel to remove the flat and made a new axle. Job #1 complete.
• Although I don't intend to start work yet, I've been trying to see how to remove the actions (with the aid of your PDF). There aren't any screw heads underneath the case so I assume they're beneath the keys. I can lift the keys enough to feel underneath, but not enough to remove them. What's the secret?

[Bill Kibby]

I don't use PDF files. The action should slide out towards you once obstructions have been removed. I am not a professional restorer of early pianos. These pictures are from the one I had, 10 years younger.

[DaveS]

My apologies, I thought I'd found the PDF on this site but it was in the "care and restoration" section of the www.friendsofsquarepianos.co.uk website.
The action must be secured somehow so I clearly need to look harder.