Bending rims... sideline from Re: Plate Bushings

[Greg Newell]

But Brian, what difference does it make when the stress is placed on the wood?
That fact that stress is placed there at all seems to be what is significant,
no? As I understand it the wood comes out of some sort of oven like thing and is
taken directly to the cauls and glued up while still hot. They even wear nomex
type racing gloves I believe during the process. This has to make the wood
easier to get into shape I would think. To me it's immaterial when it's stressed
by heat but rather the fact that it is.

Greg Newell

Brian Trout wrote:

> Hi Greg,
>
> Sort of, and sort of not.  I've been told that Steinway uses a process where
> they heat the wood and use hot glue.  Heating the wood will extend the setup
> time of the glue long enough to allow them to get the mass of wood and glue
> into the rim press and all clamped down while the glue is still workable.
> At least that's the way I was told.  It may be changing now, with the advent
> of more modern glues, I don't know.
>
> But I don't believe that they would pre-stress the layers of wood in such a
> way as to give them their approximate shape after glueup.  Probably
> impractical and unnecessary in a setup with those huge rim presses.
>
> I hope I didn't add too much confusion to the subject.  It was more or less
> some random thoughts that came to mind I thought I'd throw out for whatever
> they may have been worth.
>
> Brian Trout
> Quarryville, PA
> btrout@desupernet.net