Farrell wrote: > OK, a theoretical problem. If the new "stronger" shim causes the adjacent > "damaged/crushed/old" soundboard wood to develope cracks along the new shim, > wouldn't epoxy do the same thing? Certainly the epoxy isn't going to squish > much. Or do you somehow let thin epoxy soak into the adjacent old board > material and then put a thickened mixture into the crack. Also, when doing > an epoxy "shim", is there any reason to rout out the crack? Or do you just > fill it as is? I certainly cant give you the technical reasons.. but as I understand it the expoxy soaks in to the wood to some degree. Also as Del was getting into its a purely chemical reaction... with no (or almost no) curing related to gases evaporating out of the glue. In anycase I have yet to see an epoxy "shim" fail. As far as routing out... this mostly a cosmetic thing... so whatever looks best to you. I have seen fellows who combine the two proceedures actually, tho I dont know what the success /failure picture is on that. I personally scrape out with a standard "V" tool just enough to allow for a line of epoxy to run into. If the crack is already wide enough, then I just tape and glue. My own preference for looks is a dark colour. I want it to show.... nicely lacked it gives a neat effect. But I know many who want the repair to "disapear"... To each their own. > > Terry Farrell > Piano Tuning & Service > Tampa, Florida > mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Delwin D Fandrich" <pianobuilders@olynet.com> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 10:39 AM > Subject: Re: Shimming - was: Was it something I said? > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Farrell" <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com> > > To: <pianotech@ptg.org> > > Sent: January 08, 2001 5:42 AM > > Subject: Shimming - was: Was it something I said? > > > > > > > Makes sense Del. I fit my shims by adjusting the thickness of them (they > > are > > > cut on a small angle as is the slot - trimming the thickness makes them > > > wider or narrower). Therefore, I start with shims thicker than my board. > > How > > > does one get around this using old soundboard stock that is the same > > > thickness or thinner than the target board? Laminate two thicknesses > > > together? Are we not then moving toward a shim that is stronger than the > > > target board? > > > > > > Terry Farrell > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Don't know, Terry. Laminating them might work. I haven't shimmed a board > > with either old or new wood since sometime in the very early 70s, having > > switched to epoxy about that time. Once I did my first epoxy 'shim' I > never > > went back -- in spite of the many critics of the day who assured me that > > they wouldn't work. They did then and they still do today. Of course, > today > > we mostly replace boards rather than shim them. > > > > Which ever is you elixir of choice, shimming or epoxying, it's good to > keep > > in mind that both are strictly cosmetic repairs. Neither does anything > > acoustical, either good or bad, regardless of the material used or the > > quality of the work done. Well, ok, a really badly done shim could buzz, I > > suppose, and that's acoustical. > > > > Del > > > > -- Richard Brekne RPT, N.P.T.F. Bergen, Norway mailto:Richard.Brekne@grieg.uib.no
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