violguy

I may be able to help you. PM me

Now all I want to do is smoke a cigarette!

I use a surface-contact thermometer placed on top of my Stew-Mac iron. This set-up has never failed me.

Hoping to read something on this subject from Herr Machold

Several situations mitigate against recycling piano wood for our uses: (1) Pianos are bulky and very difficult to safely disassemble.(2) The Spruce used in the soundboard will be too thin(around 1/8th inch or more but less than 3/8inch); most piano soundboards contain cross-bracing which is difficult to remove without damaging the board.(3) refer to (1). The "sharp" keys(the black ones) may be used for nuts and other violin related small pieces traditionally made of Ebony. Be sure the intended black keys are made of genuine Ebony and not a composite or another species of dyed hardwood. Hope this helps!

Stew-Mac sells a tool called "Jack the Gripper" which may help here.

How novel...political opinions showing up on a luthiers' forum! Who knew???

Sure,blame everything on the Romans!

Thanks for taking the time to post your interesting pix!

My favorite bumper sticker: "Elitism...It's Not For Everyone"

There is a violin build by Joe Mangun on You Tube. He bought his from his local tonewood supplier:Home Depot.

Unless one is finishing a viola.....

"What doesn't kill you will make you stronger"

Well, since Tony also made viols,the sauce here should contain hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes,garlic grown near the north side of the Po(only harvested in Dec) some equisetum(to taste) and some par-boiled Gambos. The original recipe was found in a castle near Vienna.

"Fishing the cleat" method takes me back to the early days of the posting that appeared in the journal(such as it was back then) of the Guild of American Luthiers. I still have those individual guitar tuners rigged for this procedure(should the need ever arise).