What do you mean by crown machined into them? Do you mean that the rim and belly rail are sloped slightly? Do you mean that the inward edge is slightly higher than the outward edge (when compared to a line drawn parallel to the floor)? If so I would absolutely leave it. Why would you want to remove it? The panel will be crowned and so will match the slight slope of the inner rim and belly rail so that you don't have to force the panel down to the inner rim at the inner edge. The ideal amount of slope on the inner rim should match the crown of the panel in my opinion. Why force unnecessary stress onto the panel? Some would argue, in fact, that if the inner rim isn't sloped by design that you should endeavor to make it so. Assuming we're talking about the same thing, that is. David Love www.davidlovepianos.com -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jim Ialeggio Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 9:29 AM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: [pianotech] Belly talk Rebuilding a 40's aeolian knabe grand, new works, including RC&S belly of my design. In prepping the case/rim for Fish, Cutoff and new rib placement, the belly rail and curved side of the rim have what I would consider a significant and (to my mind) superfluous "crown" machined into them. I don't want the gratuitous complications, and will be removing the crowns in the next day or so. This is especially true on the belly rail, where, because of the location of the cutoff, a significant portion of the "crown" radius is not even located in the "working" part of the board. A question to other rib crowned belly heads...what do you do with these "crowns"? Leave'em or hack'em off? Since it's a bit of work to remove them, do others leave them without undo complications? Jim Ialeggio -- Jim Ialeggio jim at grandpianosolutions.com 978 425-9026 Shirley Center, MA
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