Kiln dried vs Natural seasoning

[Farrell]

"How would you make a soundboard. ?"

I would dry the panel, radius the ribs, glue ribs to panel in radiused
press, and then let assembly equilibrate with room conditions.

I realize it is common to talk of rib crowned vs compression crowned
soundboard construction. Perhaps you just threw me off a tad because you
said rib crowned only. I do not construct soundboards. I hope to down the
road at some time. But my understanding of how Del and Andre Bolduc
construct their soundboards is that they radius crown the ribs AND dry the
board down to some ideal moisture content (not as dry as a compression crown
only board would be dried). The ribs are then glued to the board and the
board is allowed to equilibrate in the room environment while taking on
moisture and ending up with a board that has a combination of rib crowning
and compression crowning (keeping in mind that the compression crowning
aspect of such a board will be less than a compression crowned only board.

I thought by identifying a rib crowned only board, you were referring to
radiused ribs with a panel bent and glued on without any panel drying prior
to gluing to ribs. You don't do that, do you? My understanding is that some
compression crowning is desirable.

Terry Farrell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Caught" <caute@optusnet.com.au>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 9:33 AM
Subject: Re: Kiln dried vs Natural seasoning


> Terry Terry Terry,
>
> How would you make a soundboard. ?
>
> Next question
>
> Can't play myself, but time tells all. Tune a piano every year for five
> years whilst the piano is being played. Leave it for 15 years for the next
> generation cycle then start tuning it again. On the third years tuning the
> piano is singing again. Takes 25 years to go through the cycle so you
don't
> have to answer straight away.
>
> Regards
>
> Tony
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Farrell <mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com>
> To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 10:47 PM
> Subject: Re: Kiln dried vs Natural seasoning
>
>
> > > > It is my opinion that a soundboard that is crowned by ribs only
> >
> > Who on earth makes a soundboard like that?
> >
> > > > It is also my opinion that if a piano is not played for a number of
> > years,
> > > > that the quality of tone will weaken but will return with play over
a
> > period
> > > > of time.
> >
> > Believe me, I have no opinion based in facts or experience on this, but
> just
> > a thought: could in not be that you play a piano after a few years and
it
> > sounds "different", weaker tone quality - largely becuase you haven't
> played
> > it for a while - then it sounds better after a period of time of playing
> > it - becuase you have gotten used to it again.
> >
> > The opposite could be true with regards to some men/women
> > interrelationships.
> >
> > Terry Farrell
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Richard Brekne" <rbrekne@broadpark.no>
> > To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
> > Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2001 6:01 AM
> > Subject: Kiln dried vs Natural seasoning
> > >
> > > Tony Caught wrote:
> > > >
> > > >  It is my impression that the tone of a modern new piano remains the
> > same
> > > > for the first few years then in pianos starts to deteriorate, slowly
> in
> > > > quality pianos and faster in others. Yet in the older pianos where
the
> > > > soundboard timber was open air seasoned (as against the modern kiln
> > drying)
> > > > does not deteriorate to the same degree and possibly not at all
except
> > for
> > > > grain compression problems.
> > >
> > > Bosendorfer makes a big point of out this. They claim that they do not
> > kiln dry
> > > any woods used in their instruments.
> > >
> > > > It is my opinion that a soundboard that is crowned by ribs only will
> > last
> > > > longer in quality of tone than any other and that if the board is
also
> > open
> > > > air seasoned, it will last even longer. Also that a board made that
> way
> > will
> > > > improve in tone after it has been played for some time.
> > >
> > >  What do you base this one Tony...? very curious... grin.
> > >
> > > > It is also my opinion that if a piano is not played for a number of
> > years,
> > > > that the quality of tone will weaken but will return with play over
a
> > period
> > > > of time.
> > >
> > > Well,,, there is a certain amount of justification for this from
within
> > the
> > > science community... but just how far it actually goes I dont know.
> > Vibration is
> > > said to affect wood creep... and on the surface of the explaintions it
> is
> > hard
> > > to see why it wouldnt. However that would tend to simply help creep
set
> in
> > along
> > > the lines of the stress exerted upon the wood. Still the basic premise
> > that
> > > vibration can effect wood physically there....still as yet this kind
of
> > thing
> > > has yet to have a satisfactory explanation...let alone anything
> resembling
> > a
> > > proof. But then that kind of research takes money...
> > >
> > > > 36 years of tuning pianos give a person observational value only. I
am
> > going
> > > > on my recollections of a period of time when I was tuning pianos in
> > stable
> > > > climatic condition, but, now that I have been living in the tropics
> for
> > some
> > > > 18 years, I am denied these observations.  Sometimes when I go down
> > south on
> > > > holidays (and tune a few friends pianos) I can hear again that sweet
> > tone
> > > > that can come from piano with a fitted with a soundboard made the
> right
> > way.
> > > >
> > > > Regards
> > > >
> > > > Tony
> > > >
> > >
> > > The thing I keep finding again and again is the significant number of
> > times that
> > > our subjective observations seem to point in directions that dont fit
> with
> > what
> > > we "know".  This should point to the need to look into things from new
> and
> > > different angles.. to ask new questions.. If for no other reason then
> > research
> > > is simply and in itself fascinating.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Richard Brekne
> > > RPT, N.P.T.F.
> > > Bergen, Norway
> > > mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
> > >
> > >
> >
>