Soundboard panels

[Vilsnyder@AOL.COM]

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Hi Dale,
Last December Dave & I took a day off & drove up to Dolgeville to visit our 
old 
friends  of many years, Jeff Slifka & his dad who own & run the operation. 
When piano production in America went downhill, they started to diversify into
other aerias of wood products and are doing well. The soundboard end of the 
business is about 5% of their total. Their biggest customer is & has been 
Baldwin pianos.  They had beautiful wood in stock which Jeff told us came 
from British Columbia. & the panels they were making were quartered well. We 
spent a good bit of time there going over different things such as the fact 
that we don't
need the good wood in the Bass corner  or up front in the Bass end corner. 
Also
it is extrenely important that the panels be allowed to even out the moisture 
from
the edge-glueing process.  The width of the grain should be as uniform as 
possible. We don't like 30 grain lines per inch, nor under 15 lines per inch. 
 
We have had our patterns there for years. They have a lady there who is in 
charge of the panel making & she is pretty "sharp". If you have special 
questions, just ask for "Debby".  The width of the pieces in the panels were 
good. We placed a good order which has been delivered & they are some of the 
best we have had in a long while. They have just put up a new large building &
 
were getting ready to move over there shortly after our visit. The new 
equipment was impressive & should result in better panels in less time.  We 
still have the
edge glueing press on which we made our own panels many years ago, but from a 
cost standpoint, it doesn't pay. The Slifka's are good people & will work 
with you to try & give you what you want. Best regards, Willis, Dave Snyder
        

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