<HTML><HEAD> <META charset=US-ASCII http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; cha= rset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2737.800" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fffff= f"> <DIV> <DIV>Paul,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>My guess - the cracks were there and went unnoticed. We do lots of rebu= ilding and I assume that a 1901 S&S lid will have these types of problem= s. If it doesn't I am just pleasantly surprised. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I hope that helps,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Rich Galassini</DIV> <DIV>Cunningham Piano Company</DIV> <DIV>Philadelphia, Pa.</DIV> <DIV>www.cunninghampiano.com</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 10/27/2004 8:05:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tune4@e= arthlink.net writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue = 2px solid"><FONT face=Arial>List readers:<BR><BR>I inspected a recently re= finished mahogany veneered lid for a 1901 Steinway<BR>Grand that is showing = cracks through the finish telegraphed from the joints<BR>of the core materia= l.  There doesn't appear to be any cross banding between<BR>the core-wh= ich looks like oak-and the face veneer.  The cracks are from the<BR>hin= ge end and show on both sides of the lid.  The shop is a first rate<BR>= refinishing facility with very talented staff.  No one hs ever seen thi= s<BR>problem before, and no one remembers seeing the cracks in the lid befor= e<BR>refinishing.  The stripping process does not use waterbased stripp= ers or<BR>rinses. The humidity during stripping and finishing was close to 6= 0%, now<BR>it's about 40%. Has anyone seen this in other lids/pieces from th= at era? I'd<BR>appreciate any thoughts or experiences.<BR><BR>Thanks<BR><BR>= Paul C</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>