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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=Yardarm103669107@aol.com
href="mailto:Yardarm103669107@aol.com">Yardarm103669107@aol.com</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> November 11, 2002 10:52 =
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Sitka EMC</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT lang=0 =
face=Arial size=2
FAMILY="SANSSERIF">In a message dated 11/11/2002 5:56:27 AM Central =
Standard
Time, <A =
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com</A>
writes:<BR><BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
TYPE="CITE">Sailboat spars come in a variety of designs, and many =
had
lengths that were scarfed together, and the cross-section of the =
mast was
made up of several pieces - that's how they made some masts
hollow.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR><BR>Terry:<BR>I've spent too much time dealing with the old =
lake
schooner builders--big boats with solid spars. The scarf joined masts =
are rare
on these boats. But they're all still cured outside, up here anyway. =
This is
the word I get from folks at the Maritime Society.<BR><BR>Paul
RJ</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=3>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 =
size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 =
size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=3>And I've spent =
too much time
with folks selecting and processing Sitka spruce for aircraft =
construction,
masts and spars and piano soundboards and ribs. They all tell me its a =
matter of
self-control and due-process: controlling greed and doing the job right, =
in
other words. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 =
size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=3>If you try to =
dry any
wood--regardless of species--too fast there will be problems. If you =
follow the
directions--and each species seems to have its own desired set of
directions--there is no difference at all in the structural =
characteristics
between so-called air-dried lumber and kiln-dried lumber. The problem =
comes in
when the kiln tries to save money and pushes the process, drawing the =
water out
of the outer regions too fast and setting up a variety of internal =
stresses.
Then, yes, you can weaken the wood. Hence, the twisted and cracked 2 x =
4's you
see at your local Home Depot. But you can also weaken the wood if you =
dry it in
the sun on a hot, sunny day. Hence, the sprinklers you see keeping the =
logs wet
during the first stages of their drying process.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 =
size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=3>It takes time =
and patience to
properly dry wood whether you do it in the 'air' or in the =
kiln.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 =
size=3></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 =
size=3>Del</FONT></DIV>
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