Generally I agree Ron, but I think the benefit may go a little beyond cosmetic. Properly done, the board is dried to very low numbers, the damaged wood on either side of the crack is routed out and a very dry shim is glued in. At the very least the two boards are re-coupled into one. With re-humidification, you might even introduce a little more tension. If the board is really dead to begin with, this method is not recommended as beneficial. This method is only useful when the board is still lively and has cracks that open up in drier weather. This repair should be followed with climate control or voila, a new crack beside the shim. Merely dragging a wedged tool through a crack and then gluing and shoving a shim in hardly makes the grade as cosmetic, let-a-lone beneficial. The board has to be dried and the crushed wood fiber has to be removed, for any possible benefit to follow. Too many board shimming jobs are more like the latter than the former. You have probably followed this type of repair longer than I have Ron, do you have examples where the former really didn't work out? Andrew Anderson At 04:04 PM 12/5/2005, you wrote: >>Shimming cracks that divide a board is another time-tested method. >>Andrew Anderson > > >Time tested and proven - to be of no structural benefit, just cosmetic. >Ron N >_______________________________________________ >pianotech list info: https://www.moypiano.com/resources/#archives
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