[pianotech] Thubby Chipboard, was: Flagpoling

[Terry Farrell]

Ron - did some/many/all manufacturers make rims out of chestnut? Looking at some data for North American hardwood strength characteristics, it appears several of the hardwoods are similarly quite strong - like hard maple, red & white oak, white ash, etc., but chestnut is a good fair bit less hard, dense, stiff, etc. Why would they choose Chestnut? How prevalent was the use of Chestnut in rims? Any do you have any idea why so many use hard maple? Why not ash (maybe Louisville Slugger buys it all?) or oak? Is it because maple bends easier (I doubt it - I suspect white oak has that won hands down), cheaper (not now anyway), easier to obtain (can't imagine any easier than oak). Just curious.

Terry Farrell

On Aug 12, 2012, at 11:04 AM, Ron Nossaman wrote:

> On 8/12/2012 5:50 AM, Euphonious Thumpe wrote:
> 
>> (Other than to say that I personally prefer the tone of a top-notch,
>> classic piano with a very hard wood core.)
> 
> Which is likely pre-blight chestnut. Interestingly, somewhat over 100 years after the importation of the responsible fungus into this country, a blight resistant tree has finally been developed that some think will be able to successfully reestablish some small part of the vast old chestnut forests for commercial harvest. What amazing timing! I personally find it comforting that you have discovered the secret of piano design at just the right time to take advantage of the reestablishment of the wood that will return the art to it's past perfection. Congratulations.
> 
> Ron N