Pneumatic Soundboard Press

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Love" <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>
To: "Pianotech" <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: August 08, 2003 9:45 PM
Subject: Re: Pneumatic Soundboard Press


> ...My thought was to have a press that you slide the panel
> through (or move the caul along) to get to the different positions.  The
> size of the press need only be 5' (or whatever length you might need
> determined by the longest rib) x 12" high (the combined thickness of the
> lower beam which holds the curved caul and the upper beam which hold the
> pneumatic hose  x however wide the beams are, say 4".  The lower beam
could
> be designed to accept various cauls that you simply slide in and out and
> secure in some way depending on the radius you need.   It could be easily
> set up on a flat surface when needed and stored without taking up too
much
> room.   At 15 - 20 minutes clamping time per rib, you could easily glue
up
> the board in a few hours.
>

It can probably be done this way, but.... I think it's one of those things
that sounds better in theory than it will prove to be in practice. However,
because we so often use a radial, or fan, rib pattern we often must glue up
just every other rib doing the set in two passes. We make sure the board is
as 6.5% before starting each pass. (Keeping in mind that after the first
group of ribs is glued on the board will have absorbed quite a bit of
moisture. The second group generally goes on the next day after the
assembly has had a chance to dry down in the conditioning room over night.

Since you're going to probably want cauls of several different crown radii
you might as well make eight or so. They are not all that big and can be
fairly easily stored.

Del