Catproofing the harpsichord

Now that the case is complete there is one more very important task that has to be completed before I can glue the rose to the soundboard and start to string the instrument.

This harpsichord, like the historic Italian examples on which it is based, has a very light case and no lid. These instruments would typically have been placed inside a completely separate outer case for protection. I do not have an outer case, but I do need to build some kind of lid so that Isis will not be able to go to sleep on the soundboard or shred the rose into tiny pieces.

I considered several options including buying an outer case from Zuckermann (too expensive at over $3,000), building an outer case myself (too time consuming to do right now, although I might do it later), and simply attaching a lid to the case (which looks like it might just be possible but overall I don't think that the inner case is really strong enough for this). In the end I came back to one of my first ideas which was to build a lightweight lid that could sit securely on top of the instrument and easily be lifted off.

The lid itself consists of a piece of 1/8" MDF with a frame made of poplar running around the edge both to stiffen the lid and to locate it over the sides of the case. I wasn't sure when I started whether this was just going to be a temporary solution that would eventually be replaced by something else but it turned out very well so I added a few pieces of molding around the edges and this is the (almost complete) result:

The Rose

Many harpsichords have a hole cut in the soundboard which is decorated with an ornament known as a Rose. These come in a number of different styles but Italian harpsichords usually have roses based on geometrical patterns and made of parchment or, sometimes, wood.

I ordered a simple but very elegant rose from Elena Dal Cortivo which has just arrived.

The rose consists of two separate pieces which will be glued on top of each other around the hole that has already been cut in the soundboard.



There is, however, one very important step that now has to be completed before the rose can be glued in place ...

Finishing the case

Once the soundboard is in there are still a few things that need to be done to finish the case.

First there are decorative moldings made of cherry that are fitted around the edge of the soundboard. As with the outer moldings the one that follows the curve of the bentside is the most difficult one to fit. The molding is fairly thin and flexible but it is still difficult to get it to fit tightly around the curve. I used a combination of nails to hold the molding in position, blocks of wood and clamps to apply pressure to it, and some small pieces of wood wedged between the molding and the bridge to hold it firmly against the case.


Once the soundboard moldings are complete the holders for the jack rail are fitted:


These have to be positioned very carefully so that the jack rail will slide smoothly into place directly over the the gap where the registers and jacks will eventually be installed.

Finally the inner molding at the top of the case and the cap molding are fitted, and the case is (almost) done.