my own Soundboard

Greg Newell gnewell@ameritech.net
Fri, 18 Jan 2002 13:55:59 -0500


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Terry,
    Yes I read it. The link didn't work (for me) but i saw the unit from
a previous search anyway. I saw the price as the $1,600 that del
mentioned but the used one i saw this morning was $900. More of a
possibility for me than new. I'll have to keep looking.

Greg

Farrell wrote:

> Thanks Del. I feel like I've got some good ammo now. "But, I suspect
> you're thinking like a boatbuilder now. The method you're describing
> sound some like fairing a boat hull. No?" Boy oh boy, you should see
> what such a tool can help you do in prepping a transom before
> varnishing. You can get the mirror finish without all those wigglies
> you so often see! Now how did you know that was where I got the idea
> from? "I did have a small, but excellent (Inca), thickness planer to
> thickness the stock with. This was pretty expensive back then, but
> pretty good ones are available for just a few hundred bucks now. One
> of the table-top 12"ers will work just fine." I have my new Dewald 12"
> planer that works great! Or at least it did before I ran a board with
> a drywall screw in it through  :-(. I guess that is why they give you
> and extra set of blades with the machine! I'm sure I will be using it
> for a panel to get close to desired thickness. "I edge glued them with
> simple bar clamps--still do, though I've modified them a bit to get
> them to stay in place--and hand planed them to thickness with a
> variety of hand planes. Then sanded." This sounds like the way to go
> with board #1. This is pretty consistent with what Stephen Birkett was
> suggesting (thanks Stephen!). OK, I'm ready to roll! Just gotta get a
> couple pianos out of my shop and to their owners homes and then I'll
> rip into this project. Have you gotten all this Greg
> Newell?????? Terry Farrell
>
>      ----- Original Message -----
>      From: Delwin D Fandrich
>      To: pianotech@ptg.org
>      Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 11:40 AM
>      Subject: Re: my own Soundboard
>
>
>           ----- Original Message -----
>           From: Farrell
>           To: pianotech@ptg.org
>           Sent: January 18, 2002 5:01 AM
>           Subject: Re: my own Soundboard
>            Woooh! Yeah. OK, I see now. I guess that is the
>           difference between someone that builds quite a few
>           panels, and one that is thinking about his first!
>           I suspect such a machine is a bit beyond me at
>           this time. I studied the picture for quite a while
>           trying to figure out exactly what does what on
>           this machine and am not quite there - don't even
>           try to enlighten me, because clearly, I will not
>           be using any such machine for a long time!
>
>      A semi-reasonable alternative might be found at:
>
>      http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?Product_ID=14905??User_ID=142096?St=4536?St2=86010195?St3=-47549886?DS_ID=1
>
>      Just in case this doesn't work, this is the address of
>      Grizzly Tools. And specifically, their Model G5394 Stroke
>      Sander. It's a bit smaller--a 58" x 24" working table
>      size--but I know of at least one rebuilder who has used it
>      successfully to sand even concert grand sized soundboards.
>      Like ours, it requires some outboard supports to hold the
>      things up. But the price is more like $1,600 than $4,600.
>
>      If you don't yet have a Grizzly catalog, you should get one.
>      Decent imported machinery at reasonable prices with
>      reasonable support.
>
>
>
>           But, what I do have, and what I think might work
>           reasonably well, is a BIG sanding block. I mean
>           big. I found a real nice flat (like totally flat)
>           piece of poplar (I think  it is about 6 inches
>           wide by about 5 feet long) and epoxied a strong
>           lattice work of straight dry oak planks up on edge
>           (just to try and keep the poplar board real flat,
>           i.e. not twisting, bowing, etc. - the back side of
>           my poplar plank looks like the underneath of a
>           Bosendorfer). Then I made a couple clamp thingees
>           on the back side, one at each end. Then I bought
>           three sanding belts - I forget right off what
>           grits - 60, 80, 120 or there abouts - that are 6
>           inches wide and 3 feet in diameter (6-foot-plus in
>           circumference). Cut them and attach the belts such
>           that I have what is just like the little
>           half-sheet rubber sanding blocks, only mine is 6
>           inches by 5 feet.
>
>      You might also invest in a couple of good quality hand
>      planes. Mine are the Japanese draw type which I find easier
>      to use on a large panel such as a soundboard.
>
>
>
>           Would you think that careful use of such a sanding
>           tool on a soundboard panel would have the
>           potential to result in successful nice, even,
>           thickness reduction? (The panel would need to be
>           laid on a very flat table of course! - which I
>           have - my regulating table - that I made real flat
>           with use of my BIG sanding block!) A few strokes
>           this way, a few strokes at right angles to that,
>           moving all around, and so on?
>
>      Of course. Soundboards were surfaced by hand for many
>      decades before all of our elaborate power stuff came along.
>      We're so far removed from those methods we generally don't
>      even think of them until the power goes off. Personally, I'd
>      work with the hand planes a bit before getting into the
>      sanding. But, I suspect you're thinking like a boatbuilder
>      now. The method you're describing sound some like fairing a
>      boat hull. No?
>
>
>
>           Unless there are obvious flaws here, I suppose the
>           way to go is "try it and see"! Am I on to a simple
>           workable solution here? Or am I just treading
>           water before I sink?
>
>      So what if you do sink? The water's not deep--paddle ashore
>      and start over. You sound like someone who actually learns
>      from his mistakes. It won't take you long to work out a
>      reasonable process you can then share with others.
>
>
>
>           How do others in the "one or two soundboards a
>           year" shop do it? Thanks.
>
>      My first soundboard panels were done mostly by hand. I used
>      the table saw to rip my boards to width. I cleaned up the
>      edges with a very shooting plane. I did have a small, but
>      excellent (Inca), thickness planer to thickness the stock
>      with. This was pretty expensive back then, but pretty good
>      ones are available for just a few hundred bucks now. One of
>      the table-top 12"ers will work just fine. (Run the boards
>      through gentle at first--you want to find the grain slope
>      and mark them for orientation.) I edge glued them with
>      simple bar clamps--still do, though I've modified them a bit
>      to get them to stay in place--and hand planed them to
>      thickness with a variety of hand planes. Then sanded.
>
>      Go for it, and good luck.
>
>      Del
>
--
Greg Newell
mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net


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