More On MFD

[Sy Zabrocki]

To List from Sy Zabrocki
	
When selling pianos the subject of particle board might come up in your talk with the customer. One factory rep visited our store and told us how to handle this subject. He left three sample blocks. One was the traditional core stock veneered on both sides, one was just flake board and then MFD (medium density fiberboard). 

He instructed us to lay the three blocks on the counter before the customer. Put a drop of water on all three blocks. Of course the water would soak into the core stock and the flake board. The water would just lay there in a bead on the MFD. See Mr Customer this new age material is mositure proof and therefore superior to solid wood. Well I never had the guts to actually pull this on some customer. Really!

I will say this about particle boards in general. It has been used for about 30 years and it appears not to deteriorate. Recently a couple of used Baldwin spinets came through our shop with flake board which appeared just the same as when new. These models were built about 1967 and 1969. The lower panel boards are sometimes very thin and do warp some. The veneer seems to hold just as well as on solid wood. 

At the NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants) in January I on purpose checked to see who was using MFD. Charles Walters was about the only one still using solid wood. Not sure about some of the German makes. Some of the Asian makers will even use veneer on the edges which disguises the stuff. 

Someone mentioned on this list that grand lids with MFD will sag if left in the up position. I have found the opposite to be true. The lids will sag more if left down. Suppose the lid was in the straight up position (pointing to the ceiling).  All the weight would be on the hinges and with no span there be no sag. In the usual half up position there would be more weight on the span but not as much as when the lid was down. Am I right or wrong? Is there some other factor involved here. 

In moving pianos you will notice the additional weight when MFD is used. Hopefully someone will invent another product to solve this problem. Popular Science once suggested that even 2x4's will be made with some kind of artifical material as lumber becomes more scarce. 

Sy Zabrocki