<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div></div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif:font-size:10pt"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Euphonious Thumpe <lclgcnp@yahoo.com>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">To:</span> </b> <joegarrett@earthlink.net>; <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold:">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] Soundboard Repair <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Mon, Dec 24, 2012 3:11:18 PM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td valign="top" style="font:inherit;"><div>I agree with you 100%, Joe.<br /><br />Thumpe<br /><br />P.S. Where exactly is that article Del did on using epoxy to add stiffness? Can someone please email it to me? I have a board nearly ready to finish, and would like to try this technique.</div></td></tr></table> <div id="_origMsg_"> <div style="font-family:arial, helvetica,;"> <br /> <div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt;"> <font size="2" face="Tahoma"> <hr size="1"> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span> </b> Joseph Garrett <joegarrett@earthlink.net>; <br> <b> <span style="">To:</span> </b> pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>; <br> <b> <span style="">Subject:</span> </b> Re: [pianotech] Soundboard Repair <br> <b> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sent:</span> </b> Mon, Dec 24, 2012 6:26:51 AM <br> </font> <br> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="font:inherit;">Roger said: <br>"Chuck,<br>I?m stepping out of my comfort zone to respond to your post ? a post that<br>may mislead new technicians who may be inclined to venture down the paths<br>of restoring 100 year old pianos. By simply filling the cracks with shims<br>and performing a static gluing of the panels to the ribs, your chances of<br>restoring a 100 year old soundboard to it?s original impedance character<br>are little to none.Your comment about a 1000% more ?vibrant? is misleading.<br>The stopgap repair certainly restored unity to the soundboard, but after<br>that, a piano with that much deterioration would have little to no tension<br>remaining within its composite structure. It defies the physics within the<br>soundboard to believe that a massive gluing of that nature restores any<br>rib-to-panel tension; tension that is necessary to the characteristics we<br>associate with good piano tone.<br> <br>When I was young and felt I knew everything about the make-up of the piano<br>I ventured into a massive static soundboard re-gluing job where every rib<br>along 75% of its length was detached from the panels. The end result was a<br>disaster. It was like listening to a ballpein hammer striking against a<br>cast iron frying pan ? all attack and no decay. I would urge technicians to<br>seriously weigh the restoration investment to the end result before<br>engaging in such a massive reconditioning. A good new upright piano can be<br>had for $6,000 to $7,000, and it would have a new bridge, a new pinblock<br>with 2/0 tuning pins, and an entirely new action, plus much more. Is it<br>worth our reputation to encourage our clients to invest in a 100 year old<br>piano with that level of restoration liability?"<br><br>Roger,<br>I completely disagree with you! Just because your venture into this arena<br>was a disasster, does not mean that this kind of work is folly! I have done<br>many such jobs, that continue to give more than stellar performance after<br>my "heroics" in similar situations. Although there are some aspects of<br>Chuck's soundboard "rejuvenation" that I would not do or condone, the work<br>was done with good craftsmanship for the most part. I strongly urge all to<br>not use "Gorilla" glue on any repair such as this. It is a weak glue and<br>inappropriate for this work, imo. Secondly, I would not Shellac a board.<br>Although there are those who think that was the finish of the time, it was<br>not! It was Varnish. As to wether or not his project will provide a<br>resonant musical instrument or not, is yet to be seen/heard. There was one<br>step that I would have added to the process: wedge the board into an<br>exaggerated "crown" before the drying process and shimming. Del's article<br>on the use of water thin epoxy in adding stiffness will most certainly give<br>you a highly vibrant soundboard. I have three such, done that would blow<br>the doors off of any of these so called .."good new upright piano can be<br>had for $6,000 to $7,000, and it would have a new bridge, a new pinblock<br>with 2/0 tuning pins, and an entirely new action, plus much more.", piano<br>shaped objects that you speak of. (most are major PSO's and POS imo.) Then,<br>there is the aesthetic beauty of this sort of piano that is not available,<br>for any price. That in/of itself is justification for such a project.<br>(Unless you like polyester, high gloss, butt ugly moden pianos!) I<br>personally, would encourage any new tech to learn these rejuvenation<br>techniques and use them to their full value.<br>Respectfully,<br>Joe<br><br><br>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<br>Captain of the Tool Police<br>Squares R I<br><br></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> </div> </div>