Epoxy on soundboards

[Ron Nossaman]

>Sure it would - wouldn't it? If you have a relatively dry soundboard with a
>coat of epoxy on the top surface, and then expose the board to a
>higher-humidity environment, what will happen. The epoxy will slow the rate
>of MC change, but the board will still attain the same equilibrium MC with
>the environment as a similar board without an epoxy coating. If you have
>that dry board and the wood tries to expand with increasing MC, won't the
>top surface of epoxy (or the top 1/10 of a millimeter of epoxy-saturated
>wood) be under tension because that presumably would not be able to expand
>as much as the wood just below it?
>
>Terry Farrell


Only if the crown went higher than the board was wedged when the epoxy was 
applied. I don't think that's going to happen with the string load on it. 
Once the string bearing load is applied, it will be, and should stay, under 
compression unless it deteriorates. No?

Ron N