Cracked Lid

[Paul Chick (Earthlink)]

List readers:

I inspected a recently refinished mahogany veneered lid for a 1901 Steinway
Grand that is showing cracks through the finish telegraphed from the joints
of the core material.  There doesn't appear to be any cross banding between
the core-which looks like oak-and the face veneer.  The cracks are from the
hinge end and show on both sides of the lid.  The shop is a first rate
refinishing facility with very talented staff.  No one hs ever seen this
problem before, and no one remembers seeing the cracks in the lid before
refinishing.  The stripping process does not use waterbased strippers or
rinses. The humidity during stripping and finishing was close to 60%, now
it's about 40%. Has anyone seen this in other lids/pieces from that era? I'd
appreciate any thoughts or experiences.

Thanks

Paul C