Hi Bob, I'm not sure I can answer your questions fully, but maybe I can pacify you a bit until Del chimes in. Below is a picture of another Del redesigned soundboard that will get the loose foot with stiffeners (1890s 6' 4" Knabe). High grain angles also, as is typical with his designs. Below is a Del Fandrich redesigned Baldwin M belly. This is a real soundboard mounted on a faux rim that I bring to conventions and display at my boot in the vendors hall. I use it to show some of the unique design elements in Del's work and how I build them. This display unit very clearly shows the loose foot design (installed to rim, but no plate in the way). The foot is cut free right along the rim. On the backside, you can see the cut-free foot and the additional stiffener on the bottom of the panel. You can see how rib #1 defines the loose-foot cut. I think I can answer the float fairly accurately. The cut-free panel obviously frees up the soundboard's motion in that area. The stiffener simply keeps the bass area of the soundboard vibrating in a unified manner. If I'm not mistaken, he also finds that the added mass helps the bass vibrate in a more beneficial manner. Have no doubt - let's hear from Del before you go to the bank with my definition. With the grain angle, I don't know much more about it than you. I think Del feels that increasing the angle in the treble enhances the treble tone and increasing the angle in the bass works against the bass - it's a trade-off. However, he feels that it is easier, and the designer has more options to make a good bass section, and it is more difficult and you have less options to enhance treble performance. So he feels that the trade-off to enhance the treble, and help the bass in other ways (loose foot, no cantilever, long back scales, etc.) provides an optimal solution. Again, don't go to the bank with my comments. As to how the grain angle change actually causes the results, I don't really know. I think it makes the treble stiffer - and thus you can make the treble stiffer without adding mass (like panel thickness). But that is really just a wild guess. Del? (How badly have I stuck my foot in my mouth?) Hope this is interesting anyway..... Terry Farrell Farrell Piano www.farrellpiano.com ----- Original Message ----- > It looks like the grain angle on your board is really > different than the original. If it is, how do you > determine what grain angle to use? > > Why do you float the end of the soundboard (isn't this > for more flexibility?) and then you turn around and > add a veneer to stiffen it and add impedence? These > seem antithetical. What am I misunderstanding? > > Bob Hull -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070401/2cc39967/attachment-0001.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 54739 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070401/2cc39967/attachment-0003.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 44398 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070401/2cc39967/attachment-0004.jpe -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/jpeg Size: 54399 bytes Desc: not available Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/20070401/2cc39967/attachment-0005.jpe
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