Recrowning Sound Boards/Terry's request

[Joseph Garrett]

Terry,
To respond: I go by the thought, (ideer), that the board has cracks and has
lost it's crown, due to shinkage and compression. So, with that in mind,
here is how I, generally approach this. 1. Tent the piano/apply heat.
(Damp-Chasers in profusion<G>, or some other consistant, controllable
source) After a week or so I attack the board with shimming tools, wedges,
epoxy, yadayada. I wedge the board up from the bottom. (During this
procedure, if I determine that there is rib separation, I attempt to attack
that problem at the same time of the wedging.) I do wedge the hell out of
the board. I suspect, almost to the point of popping the board out of the
piano! Once wedged, I then get busy applying the shim tool and get every
crack opened up for shims. Re-tent for a few more days. Check and begin
shimming. I insert wide shims with a marine type epoxy, so that there is a
good bond and a reasonable color match to the board. (In uprights, I am not
as picky about the cosmetics.) The wedges are held in place with coffee cans
full of olde tuning pins w/the plastic cover on the bottom of the cans. Let
set up. Trim, sand etc. Then Remove the wedges and pray! Test the board for
resonance and take measurements of how much "crown" has been added. The rest
is same ole same ole.
I hope this gives you an idea how I does it. <G> Of course, down there in
the wetlands of Florida, this procedure may not be adequate. [G]
Best Regards,
Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon)