Hi, Fred, Interesting that Montal writes about laminated boards. Is this the reference for Frank Hubbard in his book? (Hubbard also talks/writes about experiments with other materials for soundboards, including metal...very interesting reading.) Thanks. Best. Horace At 05:43 PM 11/17/2010, you wrote: >On Nov 17, 2010, at 5:04 PM, Edward Sambell wrote: > >>The vellum would last for decades, then >>suddenly break. How would one repair this? We >>did know, but I will let everyone see if they >>can propound solutions, then I will tell. The >>methods are probably still alive in the museums. > >And in old repair manuals. I'm not sure what has >survived in that way from the second half of the >19th century, but there is an account of vellum >replacement in Claude Montal's book from 1836. >As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am >engaged in translating that book, and the end is >very close - five pages left out of 245, for a >first draft translation. End of this week >probably. Then I'll go through again and do a more refined translation. >He has a fairly long chapter on repairs, and a >long ending section on the history of the piano. >He writes of Sébastian Erard's double escapement >as something invented five years ago, that may >well prove to be the inventor's masterpiece, if >the kinks can be worked out. Also about Pleyel's >experiment cross-veneering a spruce soundboard >with mahogany veneer, which he finds improves >the tone (and another maker gluing panels with >two layers of spruce, cross grained). Pape's >attempts to make a successful downward striking >action. Fine tuning inventions involving a >pressure screw. Fascinating stuff - well, for me anyway. >I'd like to make this translation available in >some way. I'll make some efforts in the way of >having it published, whether hard copy or e-book >- though I don't really have time to do a lot in >that direction - and if nothing else will >simply post files somewhere. But meanwhile, if >anyone would like files of the draft >translation, contact me off list and I'll send >them along. I have separate Word files for each >chapter or section, and there are 22 in all at 1.2 Mb total. >Regards, >Fred Sturm ><mailto:fssturm at unm.edu>fssturm at unm.edu >http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/FredSturm
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