Soundboard Shims

[A440A@aol.com]

I have found that the best material to use for making soundboard shims comes
from the front and back boards of old pipe organ pipes.  These boards are
usually, truly  quarter-sawn, and much thicker than the sound board.  The
side pieces of the the pipes are not suitable. If you will buy a thin-kerf
blade, you will get almost as much shim out of a board as you will sawdust.
 Also, the lengths are quite long and shimming long cracks can be done with
one piece.  Find an organ repair business, and see if perhaps some old,
unusable pipes are available.  the spruce is harder than most of the new
stuff, and the color is often much closer to the color of an old soundboard.

Ed Foote
Precision Piano Works
Nashville, Tn.