This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Farrell=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org=20 Sent: January 18, 2002 5:01 AM Subject: Re: my own Soundboard Woooh! Yeah. OK, I see now. I guess that is the difference between = someone that builds quite a few panels, and one that is thinking about = his first! I suspect such a machine is a bit beyond me at this time. I = studied the picture for quite a while trying to figure out exactly what = does what on this machine and am not quite there - don't even try to = enlighten me, because clearly, I will not be using any such machine for = a long time! A semi-reasonable alternative might be found at: = http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?Product_ID=3D14905&&User_ID=3D14= 2096&St=3D4536&St2=3D86010195&St3=3D-47549886&DS_ID=3D1 Just in case this doesn't work, this is the address of Grizzly Tools. = And specifically, their Model G5394 Stroke Sander. It's a bit smaller--a = 58" x 24" working table size--but I know of at least one rebuilder who = has used it successfully to sand even concert grand sized soundboards. = Like ours, it requires some outboard supports to hold the things up. But = the price is more like $1,600 than $4,600. If you don't yet have a Grizzly catalog, you should get one. Decent = imported machinery at reasonable prices with reasonable support. But, what I do have, and what I think might work reasonably well, is a = BIG sanding block. I mean big. I found a real nice flat (like totally = flat) piece of poplar (I think it is about 6 inches wide by about 5 = feet long) and epoxied a strong lattice work of straight dry oak planks = up on edge (just to try and keep the poplar board real flat, i.e. not = twisting, bowing, etc. - the back side of my poplar plank looks like the = underneath of a Bosendorfer). Then I made a couple clamp thingees on the = back side, one at each end. Then I bought three sanding belts - I forget = right off what grits - 60, 80, 120 or there abouts - that are 6 inches = wide and 3 feet in diameter (6-foot-plus in circumference). Cut them and = attach the belts such that I have what is just like the little = half-sheet rubber sanding blocks, only mine is 6 inches by 5 feet. You might also invest in a couple of good quality hand planes. Mine are = the Japanese draw type which I find easier to use on a large panel such = as a soundboard. Would you think that careful use of such a sanding tool on a = soundboard panel would have the potential to result in successful nice, = even, thickness reduction? (The panel would need to be laid on a very = flat table of course! - which I have - my regulating table - that I made = real flat with use of my BIG sanding block!) A few strokes this way, a = few strokes at right angles to that, moving all around, and so on? Of course. Soundboards were surfaced by hand for many decades before all = of our elaborate power stuff came along. We're so far removed from those = methods we generally don't even think of them until the power goes off. = Personally, I'd work with the hand planes a bit before getting into the = sanding. But, I suspect you're thinking like a boatbuilder now. The = method you're describing sound some like fairing a boat hull. No? Unless there are obvious flaws here, I suppose the way to go is "try = it and see"! Am I on to a simple workable solution here? Or am I just treading = water before I sink? So what if you do sink? The water's not deep--paddle ashore and start = over. You sound like someone who actually learns from his mistakes. It = won't take you long to work out a reasonable process you can then share = with others. How do others in the "one or two soundboards a year" shop do it? = Thanks. My first soundboard panels were done mostly by hand. I used the table = saw to rip my boards to width. I cleaned up the edges with a very = shooting plane. I did have a small, but excellent (Inca), thickness = planer to thickness the stock with. This was pretty expensive back then, = but pretty good ones are available for just a few hundred bucks now. One = of the table-top 12"ers will work just fine. (Run the boards through = gentle at first--you want to find the grain slope and mark them for = orientation.) I edge glued them with simple bar clamps--still do, though = I've modified them a bit to get them to stay in place--and hand planed = them to thickness with a variety of hand planes. Then sanded. Go for it, and good luck. Del ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/34/64/f7/00/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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