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<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</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> November 12, 2003 3:04 =
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Laminated ribs and =
grain
angle</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial>And this leads me to a =
concept I
have never been at peace with: panel flitch width. Seems that =
a popular
target flitch width is maybe about four inches. I have trouble =
imagining how a
number of narrow flitches would be detrimental to the soundboard. That =
would
allow use of some of this non-optimal-grain-angle wood by resawing to =
quarter
it. Now certainly more work would be involved, but I see that as the =
only
downside. Some may suggest appearance, but I don't see that as an =
issue
- often the only way I can find flitch joints on a subpanel =
is to
look for the squared-off ends - straight grain and consistent color =
make
joints nearly invisible. Is there something else I need to get a =
grip of
to understand this?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080>Ah, but Terry, =
appearance is the
issue. That and a lot of mysticism. Most of the mythology we have =
accumulated
about soundboard construction goes back to the erratic and unpredictable =
nature
of the compression-crowned soundboard structure. And with this =
construction it
is important to remove every possible variable. When a panel doesn't =
belly
"properly" or if the piano ends up not sounding quite right -- not quite =
"great"
-- it must be because the grain was too wide. Or too narrow. Or because =
the
boards were too narrow. Or too wide. Or the wrong color. Or because it =
came from
the south side of the mountain. Or the wrong elevation. Or the grain =
angle was
slightly off perpendicular. Or something. Perhaps it's just one of those =
mysteries of life that is beyond our comprehension -- "we don't know why =
some
pianos come out sounding great and others don't." It's a =
mystery.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080></FONT><FONT =
face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080>These factors become =
less critical
the further you get from the pure compression-crowned system. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>FWIW, I most often use 45-degree grain-angle =
(non-nicely
quartered) spruce for rib laminations. I reverse the grain angles from =
lamination to lamination like below, thinking this may maximize =
stability.
Don't know this really does anything except make me feel better - but =
it most
certainly does do that (please don't burst my bubble).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>/////////</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><A>\\\\\\\\\</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>/////////</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><A>\\\\\\\\\</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>/////////</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><A>\\\\\\\\\</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Terry Farrell</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080>Whatever makes you =
feel good,
Terry. Go for it. In reality, though, when the thickness of the =
laminations
becomes small enough it doesn't seem to matter either way.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" =
color=#000080>Del</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>