<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=ISO-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 = rightMargin=7> <DIV>Hi Dale.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks for your response.  I re-read the nice article of John = Hartman about setting downbearing.</DIV> <DIV>In this 1864 Pleyel, the rim seems to be shaped in order to favour = a dome in the soundboard culminating at the place where the bridge supports the = strings of the section from high tenor to low trebble.  The rest appears to = be flat.  Ah, and the grain of the board runs parallel to the spine, = while the ribs (12 in total, and small ones) run approximately perpendicular to = the tangent at a point of the long bridge curve.  You were right, even = after shimming, not much crown is left in the board.  I understand that = this is a warning that I should be very careful with downbearing.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks again for your good energy.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best regards.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Stéphane Collin.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Erwinspiano@aol.com href="mailto:Erwinspiano@aol.com">Erwinspiano@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, July 31, 2005 = 4:43 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: downbearing = question</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 = size=2> <DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>    Stephane</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   Well I saw no responses to the can- o = - worms post ..........grin</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   SO  I kind of hate to = wade into this but I'll try to make it as simple as my mind usually works.  = If I translate what your saying accurately, your concern is that your  = total residual lowell gauge bearing reading of 6 marks on the gauge is too = much. Is this right? 6 times .003 =.018 or 1 degree</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   If so this would would be a great = deal of bearing for an old flat soundboard. IMHO.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  I'll refer you to setting bearing to 1995 = PTJ articles by John Hartman for (One)  concise  method of = setting bearing & also general guidelines.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>    It is not the only method but = the one I subscribe to presently as do many others</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  In a fully crowned board It would be common = to detect 2 plus degrees of bearing in the top trebles(tweeters) 1 & 1/2" in = the Alto region(middle of the board)  & 1/2 degree in the low = tenor( the chello section). Trebles require more pressure stiffness to drive high = frequency. Bass  sections virtually none to make bass. But I like = some (1/2degree)on larger pianos without cantilevered bass = bridges.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  More than any of the above . Does the piano = sound good ?? This tells a huge story. Has the board assumed a flat = compressed condition. Meaning the crown has been squashed down to  a flat = state & not turned inside out or upside  down or concave. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  If a board of this age has been = shimmed  it is a falt board  & IMO there will not be an appreciable crown to = work with so only small degrees of bearing are prudent or tonal distorations = & maladys of all kinds can develop. Amhik</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  I dont' know if this helps any one but = there it is.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>   & It's JMHO</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  Dale Erwin</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3>  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px = solid"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 = size=2> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello list.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This old 1864 Pleyel (again) has = many features which I think are quite straight forward.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The rim and the ribs are shaped so = there is nearly no crown in the bass bridge regio, few in the tenor, lots in = the alto and again less in the high trebble.  In the original setting, downbearing followed this pattern : nearly no on the bass bridge, = few on the low long bridge, lots in the trebble and less again in the high trebble.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My question is : in such an = arrangement, can we set more downbearing in this alto area than if the downbearing were = spread on the whole scale ?  How much could I put there ?  For = now, after soundboard shimming, there are as much as three graduations on the = Lowell gauge, in front bearing and in rear bearing.  I'm used to = consider this quite much.  Any opinions ?</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best regards,</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stéphane Collin.</FONT> </DIV></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 PTSIZE="10" = FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Erwins Pianos Restorations <BR>4721 Parker Rd.<BR>Modesto, Ca 95357<BR>209-577-8397<BR>Rebuilt Steinway , Mason &Hamlin = Sales<BR>www.Erwinspiano.com</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTM= L>