1880's Weber 6'4" SB repl., rescaling

[Bdshull@AOL.COM]

Hi, List (Del and Ron there?):

A few months ago I purchased this very pretty 1880's 6'4" Weber to rebuild.  
I have just estimated a client's identical piano.  Two Webers.  Great 
cabinets, but famous Weber hollow-log sound (yuk).

Both have inadequate to zero positive bearing, flat boards, and I am 
considering board replacement in both (client may pay for theirs) -- here's a 
chance to try to get semi-efficient.  These boards have conventional grain 
orientation (abt. 45 degrees to side), but the ribs run roughly parallel to 
the side - front to back!  That makes for some long ribs!  Should I duplicate 
this, go to a conventional approach (ribs 90 degrees to grain, 45 degrees to 
side), or?

Of course, the tenor plain wire trichords are VERY tubby, and I intend to 
rescale.  Ron, I am about to plug the numbers in "RESCALE", the software 
scaling program you sent me, but am interested in if anyone has experience 
rescaling this particular piano (apparently Weber made quite a few).

Bill Shull
University of Redlands, La Sierra University