<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=UTF-8 http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charse= t=utf-8"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2730.1700" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 1/2/2004 11:51:20 AM Pacific Standard Time, pianobui= lders@olynet.com writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN= -LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040><FONT size=3><STRONG>I= have no doubts</STRONG></FONT> <STRONG><FONT size=3>that there was some s= ort drying prior to ribbing but with the uprights a mere few hours= of heating isn't really going to take a soundboard panel to an adequately l= ow emc level for compression crowning. None of us would expect that result i= n our own shops. </FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040><STRONG><FONT size=3>&= nbsp;  I suspect any amount of crown achieved was mostly dependent= on circumstance I.E. it was a cold dry time of year & the pre ribb= ed boards were already at low emcs. </FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOT= E> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080 size=3>Few of = us run soundboard conditioning rooms at anything like the temperatures used = by these early pianomakers. We certainly don't. You put a batch of already r= easonably dry and properly stickered soundboard panels in a room running wel= l upwards 120º+ and they are going to shrink quite nicely overnight. All y= ou need to do is get them down to 4%. Standard practice, I'm afraid.</FONT><= /DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080 size=3></FONT>=  </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080 size=3>Del</FO= NT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040>   <FONT = size=4> I wonder if it was common practice to press boards on a flat deck = which is what I've always heard.(I forget where) Perhaps no one really = knows but even if they were pressed in a dished caul with ribs that long&nbs= p;& usually not very tall how much crown could the panel really retain o= ver time. I recently saw  1920 ish Knabe upright with very tall ribs &a= mp; enough of them. I didn't check the crown at that time but I will wh= en next I see it. This piano was very well preserved ,great sound. Than= ks for the replies.</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000040 size=4>   Da= le</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>