<!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 5.50.4134.600" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000080 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=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</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> January 18, 2002 5:01 = AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: my own = Soundboard</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV>Woooh! Yeah. OK, I see now. I guess that is the difference = between someone that builds quite a few panels, and one that is thinking about = his first! I suspect such a machine is a bit beyond me at this time. I = studied the picture for quite a while trying to figure out exactly what does what = on this machine and am not quite there - don't even try to enlighten me, = because clearly, I will not be using any such machine for a long time!</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>A semi-reasonable alternative might = be found at:</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>     <A href="http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?Product_ID=14905&&= amp;User_ID=142096&St=4536&St2=86010195&St3=-47549886= &DS_ID=1">http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?Product_ID=149= 05&&User_ID=142096&St=4536&St2=86010195&St3=-= 47549886&DS_ID=1</A></FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>Just in case this doesn't work, = this is the address of Grizzly Tools. And specifically, their Model G5394 Stroke = Sander. It's a bit smaller--a 58" x 24" working table size--but I know of at = least one rebuilder who has used it successfully to sand even concert grand sized soundboards. Like ours, it requires some outboard supports to hold the = things up. But the price is more like $1,600 than $4,600.</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>If you don't yet have a Grizzly = catalog, you should get one. Decent imported machinery at reasonable prices with = reasonable support.</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV>But, what I do have, and what I think might work reasonably well, = is a BIG sanding block. I mean big. I found a real nice flat (like = totally flat) piece of poplar (I think  it is about 6 inches wide by = about 5 feet long) and epoxied a strong lattice work of straight dry oak planks up = on edge (just to try and keep the poplar board real flat, i.e. not twisting, = bowing, etc. - the back side of my poplar plank looks like the underneath of a = Bosendorfer). Then I made a couple clamp thingees on the back side, = one at each end. Then I bought three sanding belts - I forget right off = what grits - 60, 80, 120 or there abouts - that are 6 inches wide and = 3 feet in diameter (6-foot-plus in circumference). Cut them and attach = the belts such that I have what is just like the little half-sheet rubber = sanding blocks, only mine is 6 inches by 5 feet.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>You might also invest in a couple = of good quality hand planes. Mine are the Japanese draw type which I find easier = to use on a large panel such as a soundboard.</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV>Would you think that careful use of such a sanding = tool on a soundboard panel would have the potential to result in successful = nice, even, thickness reduction? (The panel would need to be laid on a very = flat table of course! - which I have - my regulating table - that = I made real flat with use of my BIG sanding block!) A few strokes this way, a few = strokes at right angles to that, moving all around, and so = on?</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>Of course. Soundboards were = surfaced by hand for many decades before all of our elaborate power stuff came along. = We're so far removed from those methods we generally don't even think of them = until the power goes off. Personally, I'd work with the hand planes a bit before = getting into the sanding. But, I suspect you're thinking like a boatbuilder now. = The method you're describing sound some like fairing a boat hull. = No?</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV>Unless there are obvious flaws here, I suppose the way to go is = "try it and see"!</DIV> <DIV><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV>Am I on to a simple workable solution here? Or am I just treading = water before I sink?</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>So what if you do sink? The water's = not deep--paddle ashore and start over. You sound like someone who actually = learns from his mistakes. It won't take you long to work out a reasonable = process you can then share with others.</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV>How do others in the "one or two soundboards a year" = shop do it? Thanks.</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>My first soundboard = panels were done mostly by hand. I used the table saw to rip my boards to width. I = cleaned up the edges with a very shooting plane. I did have a small, but excellent = (Inca), thickness planer to thickness the stock with. This was pretty expensive = back then, but pretty good ones are available for just a few hundred bucks = now. One of the table-top 12"ers will work just fine. (Run the boards through = gentle at first--you want to find the grain slope and mark them for orientation.) = I edge glued them with simple bar clamps--still do, though I've modified them a = bit to get them to stay in place--and hand planed them to thickness with a = variety of hand planes. Then sanded.</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>Go for it, and good = luck.</FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT color=#000080>Del</FONT><FONT color=#000080></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>