<html> <head> <style> .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } </style> </head> <body class='hmmessage'>Space or no spcae, unless I start mass producing cookie cutter pianos, my preference is this system for the one by one control factor.   There is a photo set on the website photo gallery under soundboard pressing.    We're pressing with panels around 5.5%MC. The shop typcially runs between 15% and 25% RH, so pressing time isn't a major concern.   <DIV>                Michael Spreeman <A href="http://www.spreemanpianoinnovations.com/">http://www.spreemanpianoinnovations.com</A></DIV> <HR id=stopSpelling> > Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 19:56:27 +0100 > From: ricb@pianostemmer.no > To: m_spreeman@hotmail.com; pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: Crowning one rib at a time > > Ah... so its not so much a matter of crowning the board itself rib by > rib as it is a matter of installing ribs one at a time due to space > concerns and the ability to reposition ribs on the fly... yes ?? I > understand you dry your panels down quite a bit before installing the > ribs. How much working time do you allow for in getting all ribs > positioned and pressured after the panel comes out of the box ? > > I'd love to see a picture of your basic setup. We've seen several > variants posted here through the past few years. The more the > merrier... and the more enlightening as it were. > > Thanks for the reply > RicB > > Michael Spreeman wrote: > > Hi Ric, > > > > No problem. Some factories have presses with a slotted perimeter to > > position the ribs on the panel. They can do this because they are > > producing numerous boards with the same rib scale and layout. The > > presses have a frame with pre-positioned arms that come down to the > > ribs as a unit and are inflated all at the same time. Our press > > consists of several indivual units that are positioned one at a time. > > This allows us to enact changes in the rib layout from piano to piano > > without having to reconfigure a large fixed press. We have limited > > space in our shop, so another advantage to individual frames and > > cauls is the ability to store the presses in a small area when not > > being used. Also, our press frames have removable cauls which allows > > us to remove one caul and replace it with another of a different > > radius if desired. > > > > / Michael Spreeman > > /http://www.spreemanpianoinnovations.com > > <http://www.spreemanpianoinnovations.com/> > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 09:22:16 +0100 > > > From: ricb@pianostemmer.no > > > To: pianotech@ptg.org; m_spreeman@hotmail.com > > > Subject: Crowning one rib at a time -- Spreeman > > > > > > Was reading about the Ravencroft instrument and have been curious about > > > many things since first hearing about it. On the website it says > > > somewhere that the soundboard is crowned "one rib at a time". I wonder > > > if you could be so kind as to expound on that a bit. Exactly how do you > > > crown a board one rib at a time ? > > > > > > Thanks if you can find the time to explain > > > Cheers > > > RicB > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Get Windows Live and get whatever you need, wherever you are. Start > > here. > > <http://www.windowslive.com/default.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Home_082008> <hr />Get Windows Live and get whatever you need, wherever you are. <a href='http://www.windowslive.com/default.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Home_082008' target='_new'>Start here.</a></body> </html>