Light breezes today presented an almost ideal setting for sanding the clavichord lid, which consists of five parts: four sides which make up a frame and one center panel. I disassembled the pieces and sanded each one thoroughly, starting with 100 grit, and then switching over to a medium grit sanding sponge block and finishing with a fine grit sponge block.
I found a little dowel in my trusty pencil cup and used it wrapped in sandpaper to smooth up the cove moldings. I have to say, I really love those soft sanding blocks. Using the edge is perfect for the little carved edges of the frame. The breezes carried away most of the sawdust. What remained was cleaned up with a tack cloth.
The center panel is designed to float as temperature and humidity increase and decrease, so it will not be glued to the frame. However, at this stage, I did glue three of the sides of the frame together, making sure the panel would still slide in easily. After I varnish and wax, I'll finish the assembly and glue the fourth side of the frame in place (avoiding the surfaces where the glue will go).
I feel like I'm in the home stretch with the cabinet, and I guess I am. Since I have built the stand, I don't need to bother with designing and carving some little feet for the instrument. All I need to do is attach the music desk and attach the butterfly hinges to the lid. Then I'll go over the cabinet once more with a sanding sponge before varnishing and waxing. Stay tuned to hear all about it.
