---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Yes Terry, I got it! Now the next obvious question is where and how much should the taper be? Greg Farrell wrote: > Thanks Del. I feel like I've got some good ammo now. "But, I suspect > you're thinking like a boatbuilder now. The method you're describing > sound some like fairing a boat hull. No?" Boy oh boy, you should see > what such a tool can help you do in prepping a transom before > varnishing. You can get the mirror finish without all those wigglies > you so often see! Now how did you know that was where I got the idea > from? "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." I have my new Dewald 12" > planer that works great! Or at least it did before I ran a board with > a drywall screw in it through :-(. I guess that is why they give you > and extra set of blades with the machine! I'm sure I will be using it > for a panel to get close to desired thickness. "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." This sounds like the way to go > with board #1. This is pretty consistent with what Stephen Birkett was > suggesting (thanks Stephen!). OK, I'm ready to roll! Just gotta get a > couple pianos out of my shop and to their owners homes and then I'll > rip into this project. Have you gotten all this Greg > Newell?????? Terry Farrell > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Delwin D Fandrich > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 11:40 AM > Subject: Re: my own Soundboard > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Farrell > To: pianotech@ptg.org > 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=14905??User_ID=142096?St=4536?St2=86010195?St3=-47549886?DS_ID=1 > > 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 > -- Greg Newell mailto:gnewell@ameritech.net ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/6c/3e/c4/37/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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