<!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 6.00.2900.3395" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>Thank you Nick for a well thought out Post.</STRONG></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG></STRONG></EM></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>I agree with Will (and many others here) that the panel is the least important feature of the soundboard assembly. Balancing the rib scale/design against the overall scale tension and bearing force seems a more practical approach to achieving the sought after benefits than trying to control the compression. Yes, we can certainly recycle old panels with an updated design and we may have to in the years ahead, but processing old boards verse new panels comes back to the fundamentals (ie removing defects, good joinery, contolled MC for a given design etc.) and recognizing that wood will always be wood. There are already a host of alternatives (ie composite and laminated panels) to be explored and I respectfully submit, that for those whom are interested, time and resources may be better spent here.</STRONG></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>   </STRONG></EM></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><EM><STRONG>Jude Reveley, RPT<BR>Absolute Piano Restoration, LLC<BR>Lowell, Massachusetts<BR>(978) 323-4545</STRONG></EM></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <BR> While the strength of a soundboard comes as a system - the<BR>> strength comes from the ribs, the panel, and the bridges acting together; it<BR>> is fair to say that the panel is the lesser of these components and the ribs<BR>> by far the greater.  If you have held an unribbed panel in your hands it is<BR>> pretty flimsy at that stage.  So I think whatever extra strength your old,<BR>> compressed panel might have is of relatively little importance - practically<BR>> speaking.  <BR>> <BR>> Will Truitt<BR></FONT></BODY></HTML>