The Prelude To A Blip. Leitz Summitar 50mm

These images are scanned from photographs I took back at the beginning of 2005.  They show the dovetailed joints of what was to be my second-to-last harpsichord order.  It could have been a very sad story, but I can say now that everything turned out for the best.  
I am about to begin a new woodworking project: the repurposing of this instrument which has sounded  but one note in its unfulfilled life.  My wish is to change that, and to give the poor thing a raison d’etre. The main image and the Extra show the dovetails down at the tail, and the junction of cheek and bentside respectively.  This joinery took a lot of work, and was done not only out of respect for the wonderful craftsmanship of the original maker, Christian Zell of Hamburg in 1728.  Old Zell didn't spend his time and effort just to show off:  a harpsichord case is put under enormous stress by the combined tension of all the strings, and dovetail joints are the strongest for withstanding those twisting forces.  The case is a substantial piece of furniture in itself, worth preserving.  Watch this spot...