Dear Michael
Congratulations on your involvement with a student making her own harpsichord. I have helped six  students make harpsichords in a heated high school shop between September and May. The risk of low humidity suggests boards that may swell and rise to touch the strings in the summer rather than shrink and crack in the winter; but this has never happened. I seem to recall there are remarks in Hubbard's old kit manual on this topic.
John

      From: Michael Bender <[log in to unmask]>
 To: [log in to unmask] 
 Sent: Monday, June 11, 2018 9:08 AM
 Subject: Make a soundboard in summer
   
Dear members,

this summer I am helping a  young student making her own harpsichord.
She works on a six-foot-Ruckers-style single, 8' 8'. The case has been finished and we are glueing up the soundboard right now.

SB material is alpine fir.

In oder to prevent the finished boards from cracking up, I always chose cold and dry winter days to work on the SBs of my own ten harpsichords.
But the young lady will have to present a playable instrument by october. (final painting, decorating, the build of a stand - even lids - may follow later).

So: Is there any way to dry out the thinned soundboard in summer here in Germany?
Bright sun?
Sauna?
Ventilation?

Unfortunately I do not have access to professional gear such as drying chambers or things like that.


Greetings from river Rhine


Michael

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Note:  opinions  expressed on HPSCHD-L are those of the  individual con-
tributors and not necessarily  those of the list owners  nor of the Uni-
versity of Iowa.  For a brief  summary of list  commands, send mail to
[log in to unmask]  saying  HELP .
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